New York Jets: 3-Round 2019 mock draft in early December

It’s December, and the New York Jets are out of the playoff hunt. That means one thing. It’s time to look at a mock draft.

The 2018 season is yet another disappointing season for the New York Jets. The Jets took a step backward in the progression as a franchise. That might have been expected as they were starting a rookie quarterback, but not to this extent.

Gang Green will likely have a new head coach (and possibly a new general manager) come Black Monday. That means a fresh start for Sam Darnold, and it also should mean a new direction for the franchise.

In an offense-based league, it’s time to surround Darnold with the talent he needs to succeed.  Last year was about getting the quarterback. Now, it’s about helping the quarterback to grow and get the best you can out of him.

Darnold was limited in his growth potential because he lacked two things the Jets need to address in this draft. The protection for the Jets was very inconsistent, and they lacked a true No. 1 receiver Darnold could rely on.

This draft is about building. It’s not going to be a one-year fix. There are too many holes for the Jets to be able to fill in one offseason — including free agency. They need to worry about the foundational pieces in this draft, and hope they can plug some of the holes in free agency.

The Jets have put themselves in a situation where they have to build the foundation four years into a regime, and that’s not a good place to be. However, this would be a good start if it’s able to play out this way. Let’s take a look.