ESPN’s Matt Miller has released a two round NFL mock draft. The Jets own four of the top 44 selections, and Miller projects that they will take big swings.
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State
Jets fans will be screaming for a quarterback at this pick, but there isn’t a passer worthy of this selection with Mendoza off the board. Instead of reaching for Alabama’s Ty Simpson, the Jets’ best option is waiting on a quarterback until later in the draft or even 2027, when they have three first-round picks. What’s the move? After ranking 31st in sacks this season (26), New York needs a primary pass rusher who will scare offenses. Even though the previous regime spent first-round picks on Jermaine Johnson (2022) and Will McDonald IV (2023), the Jets need a better outside pass rush.
Reese split time at linebacker and edge rusher. He is built in the Micah Parsons/Abdul Carter mold, with elite speed and powerful hands off the edge and high potential once he settles in as a full-time edge rusher.
- New York Jets (from IND): Makai Lemon, WR, USC
We’re still not reaching for a quarterback, instead going with a “best player available” pick with one of my favorite players in the class. Lemon caught 79 passes with only one drop on 110 targets last season, scoring 11 touchdowns and averaging almost 100 yards per game. Lemon doesn’t have elite measurables at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, but he’s similar to Amon-Ra St. Brown in his toughness and ability to make plays across the middle and on underneath routes. The Jets have a talented young receiver in Garrett Wilson but need to build out the wide receiver room around him. With two picks coming in Round 2, the Jets have the draft capital to address more needs with high picks.
- New York Jets: Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
The Jets traded away Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, but there was a discussion about improving the run defense before that move. McDonald projects as a starter-level nose tackle or 1-technique with the power to keep the linebackers behind him clean and run lanes stuffed.
- New York Jets (from DAL): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Simpson doesn’t have a Round 1 grade on my board, and I couldn’t find a single team that would give him one during conversations at the Senior Bowl. But with four picks in the first two rounds, the Jets can afford to roll the dice on him as a second-rounder with starter upside. Simpson’s lack of size and arm strength could ultimately push him down the board, but his poise and processing skills are NFL-level.
Miller’s Jets picks provide a mix of offense and defense. The team needs talent in both areas. All of these picks are at important positions where the Jets are lacking.
The Reese and Simpson picks in particular strike me as high risk-high reward. Both players are major projections. Admittedly a team doesn’t necessarily need to commit long-term to a quarterback selected with the 44th pick in the NFL Draft but many choose that path whether wise or not. Of course quarterback and edge rusher are both critical spots, and hitting at those positions can be a game changer.
What do you think of Miller’s mock draft?
