Pick 11: Mehki Becton. Offensive Tackle. Louisville: B-
Scouting Report: 6'7. 364. Probably the most important thing there is to say about Mehki becton. He is certified massive (just like his Dad). Becton has about as high a ceiling as anyone, but he still has a lot of improving to do, specifically in pass protection.
Reason for the grade: I said in my pre draft article that I'd be happy with the Jets getting any of the major lineman, and I am happy with Becton. B- is not a bad grade. The reason it isn't higher was because he wasn't my favorite of the class (he was actually my least favorite of the big 4, due to the fact that the Jets need pass help primarily, and he's more of a run blocker), and Tristan Wirfs was still available.
Pick 59 (from the Seahawks): Denzel Mims. Wide Receiver. Baylor: A-
Scouting Report: Denzel Mims is pretty quick, running a 4.38 40, which is where most of his game comes from, catching 12 touchdown passes in his senior year for the Bears. He does have flaws though, he is a poor route runner, he struggles with drops, and he often gets beat on 50-50 balls.
Reason for grade: I wanted a wide out with this pick and Jets went out and got one. Despite Mims' flaws he was the best WR available with the 59th pick, but the reason for an A- instead of an A, is that with the 48th pick (that the Jets traded away) they could have gotten Chase Claypool, who is more physical, more sure handed, a far better receiver in my opinion. This might be the pick Jet fans are the most excited about, and I can see why, he's and exciting player, but don't get too carried away. There is a reason he fell to 59.
Pick 68 (from the Giants): Ashtyn Davis. Safety. Cal: B-
Scouting Report: Ashtyn Davis is a freak of nature, who walked on to both the Football and Track team at Cal. He is able to make big plays in both run support and pass coverage. He also has the versatility to play safety or corner. The problem is that he often is overaggressive (on runs and passes) which leads to him getting burnt. That obviously doesn't fly with a safety, whose supposed to be your last line of defense.
Reason for grade: Davis has upside as high as most round one safety's, but his overaggressiveness is a major issue, and even though he CAN play corner, I'd rather take a true corner with this pick (Cameron Dantzler for example). I was between a C+ and B- but decided to err high side because of his pure athletic ability.
Pick 79: Jabari Zuniga. Defensive End. Florida: C-
Scouting Report: Zuniga has shown big upside and has been able to get sacks from both the edge and the interior, but he has also struggled vs elite competition, and has been very inconsistent. He had an equally as talented (if not better) pass rusher on the line with him (Jon Greenard) as well, meaning he often benefitted from not having an O-lines full attention.
Reason for grade: Even though the Jets could definitely benefit from some pass rush help, I don't see Zuniga being an upgrade over anybody the Jets already have. The reason I didn't let it slip to the D range is because it is somewhat of a positional need and he does have some serious upside.
Pick 120: Lamical Perine. Running Back. Florida: C+
Scouting Report: Perine isn't the fastest back (4.62 40), but he's physical, has great instincts and had a lot of success at The University of Florida. He's an adequate pass catcher, and a pretty poor blocker.
Reason for grade: Perine seems like a quality back, but the Jets have more pressing roster holes than the running back position and they'd be better off using this pick on a lineman and resigning Bilal Powell.
Pick 125 (from the Patriots): James Morgan. Quarterback. Florida International: D
Scouting Report: Gun slinging QB with an absolute cannon for an arm, but 0 accuracy, 0 vision, and very poor mechanics.
Reason for grade: I have two main reasons for giving this pick a D, the first being that they didn't need a back up QB from this draft, and the second being, if they were dead set on a backup quarterback Jake Fromm is the way to go, not Morgan. This year the Jets should have poured every pick into trying to build a solid cast around Sam Darnold, instead of drafting a backup. This pick does nothing for the future of the franchise. He also may be the third stringer behind Fales, which makes the pick even more useless. Fromm would have been a steal this late (as much as I am dubious of him), but Morgan could have been picked later, maybe signed post draft, or ideally left for another team.
Pick 129 (from the Patriots): Cameron Clark. Offensive Tackle. Charlotte: B
Scouting Report: Cameron Clark wasn't on my radar going into the draft, but he is a very interesting player. Quick, strong, with a lot of potential, but he also hasn't faced too much top level competition in his time at Charlotte and has struggled with penalties.
Reason for grade: I wanted a second offensive lineman in this draft and I got it. He's nothing exceptional but he looks like he could develop into a strong contributor. Grade would be slightly higher if it wasn't for the fact that they could have gotten Prince Tega Wanogho instead.
Pick 158: Bryce Hall. Corner Back. Virginia: A
Scouting Report: Excellent pass defender in press coverage, broke up 21 passes in 2018 (most in the nation), but missed a lot of his senior year to a badly broken leg. His leg should be healed and ready to go by training camp (if training camps happen).
Reason for grade: Big positional need filled with a very talented player late in the draft. Whats not to love. He may underperform his rookie year due to lost strength from his injury, but this year isn't the Jets year to win anyway and when they do win Bryce Hall will be a part of it. Total steal for the 5th round
Pick 191: Branden Mann. Punter. Texas A&M: B+
Scouting Report: What can you say about a punter? Big leg, Ray guy award winner, forced a fumble one time.
Reason for grade: The punter is an underrated spot that can add a lot of value of a team with a weaker offense. A punter that can consistently pin a team in their own end zone like Mann can will be a huge asset to the Jets and he will be an unsung hero for years to come.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Overall I'm pretty content with this draft. Its not one to write home about but it's also not a report card to hide from your parents. They did a great job (with some exceptions) addressing positions of need, but they picked a LOT of project players, or raw players with high upside that need to be "coached up". This works in principle but with the lack of trust I have for the Jets coaching staff I'm not confident in all of the guys to pan out. With that being said there clearly is a lot to be excited about from this years draft, and I do think this is better than the Jets last few drafts. Hopefully these guys can push the Jets over .500 this year.
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