New York Jets: Early 3-round 2019 NFL Mock Draft

The New York Jets have their franchise quarterback, but now they need a team around him, which they can build starting with the 2019 NFL Draft.

Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the New York Jets since their promising 2015 season. The aforementioned season featured a rookie head coach, Todd Bowles, who led the Jets to an unlikely 10-6 record. Needless to say, things were looking up in the Big Apple. However, since then, the Jets have a pair of 5-11 seasons and their 2018 outlook isn’t promising.

Their performance against the Buffalo Bills was terrible. With that said, Bowles’ job is on the line. Whether or not they retain him remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely. Regardless, the Jets have some solid pieces in place on the roster still for success.

Jamal Adams is a phenomenal safety, a building block for the defense. He’s surrounded by talented guys like Avery Williamson, Darron Lee and Leonard Williams. With those guys, the Jets third-down defense has been stellar. They currently rank second in the league with teams converting only 31 percent of their third downs.

On offense, they found their future quarterback, Sam Darnold, in the 2018 NFL Draft. Running backs Isiah Crowell, Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire make a solid backfield. The Jets must continue to rely on the running game early to take the pressure off Darnold. However, the pedestrian offensive line doesn’t help. Out wide, they have decent options with Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa who make a solid duo at wide receiver.

Still, things aren’t going well enough and they need more help. The 2019 NFL Draft is five months away, but it’s never too early for predictions. The draft can offer what the Jets need to take the next step forward.

Update: A previous version of this post featured the Jets having a second-round pick, which they traded to move up in the 2018 NFL Draft. That has been corrected.