It’s so fitting that we start the week with a mock draft only for that mock to be blown up within hours thanks to the news that Aaron Rodgers is finally going to be a Jet. As a result, the Jets now have the No. 15 pick in the draft, only one pick in the second round and none in rounds three, six and seven.
So with the trade set and the Jets knowing what picks they’ll have, let’s try this mock again, shall we? We’re using Pro Football Focus’s simulator for this one.
No. 15 - Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Even with the pick swap and the Jets now picking two spots lower than they were, they’re still able to land Broderick Jones here. That’s a win all around. The Jets get their quarterback and still get one of their top draft targets.
No. 49 (projected trade with PIT) - Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin
The Jets re-signed Connor McGovern. That at least means they don’t have to force a pick at center early. But this scenario plays out nicely for the Jets. They drop back six spots and pick up a fourth and a seventh from the Steelers and still are able to land Tippmann to add depth and a future option at the center position.
No. 112 - Kobie Turner, DL, Wake Forest
Turner may be a little undersized, but they’re also saying that about Calijah Kancey, who is about 10 pounds lighter than Turner and could be a first-round pick. Oh yeah, and they also said that about some guy named Aaron Donald.
Turner has back-to-back double-digit sack seasons — 10.5 in 2021 for Richmond, 10 for Wake Forest in 2022. He also led the Demon Deacons with three forced fumbles last season. The Jets love to build in the trenches and they find a player with quite a motor in the fourth round.
No. 120 (projected trade with PIT) - Anthony Johnson, S, Iowa State
The Jets add a body at the safety position and one that can provide a good bit of special teams value in Anthony Johnson. He played numerous positions in Iowa State’s 3-3-5 scheme and can play numerous roles on defense and special teams. He’s an intriguing sleeper prospect in this class.
No. 143 - Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati
Not quite a reuniting of Pace and Sauce Gardner as Pace transferred from Miami (OH) to Cincinnati for the 2022 season. But like Gardner, Pace had an incredible year at Cincinnati to close out his college career. Pace recorded 137 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss and ten sacks. He was a unanimous All-American, Defensive Player of the Year in the AAC and First-Team All-AAC.
The biggest knock on Pace is his size. He measured just five-foot-ten at the combine and his pro day and will probably play under 230 pounds. But this guy can move and just has an explosive motor and will fight for a role on defense and/or special teams.
No. 170 - Jose Ramirez, Edge, Eastern Michigan
Ramirez is similar to Bryce Huff in that he just gets after the quarterback. Ramirez had 12 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss in 2022 for Eastern Michigan and went on to have a nice week in Las Vegas at the Shrine Bowl. You can never have enough pass rush and that’s what Ramirez can add for the Jets. Not bad for a fifth-round pick.
No. 251 (projected trade with PIT) - Jake Bobo, WR, UCLA
Bobo transferred to UCLA in 2022 after four years at Duke. In each of his past two seasons, he led his team in receiving (794 for Duke in 2021, 817 for UCLA in 2022). He added seven touchdown receptions for the Bruins last season. He adds another sizable depth piece for the Jets (six-foot-four) and could develop into a nice red-zone option. A solid flyer at the end of the draft.
