New York Jets stockpile talent in 7-round 2020 mock draft

After landing a wide receiver for their star quarterback, the Jets are back on the clock with the 48th pick and they make this selection with Sam Darnold in mind as well. Here, New York takes Austin Jackson, who played left tackle at USC — which is where Darnold also came from.

In this class, there are a lot of promising offensive linemen, which is how the Jets land a player who has starting potential at this point. While it’s true Jackson can play now, he has some work to be done in order to be a quality player says Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network.

"Austin Jackson is a promising OT prospect who has all of the physical tools to develop into a quality starter — but there’s significant improvement needed in his fundamentals before he’s ready to fill such a role. Jackson’s footwork, hand placement, weight distribution and framing of blocks are all currently inconsistent and early reps are likely to yield irregular and inconsistent results. Jackson is likely best in zone heavy rushing offenses, where his mobility can win spacing at the POA."

Even with his inconsistencies, Jackson is a better option than what the Jets currently have. And if they ever want to take their next step, they need to start investing in their offensive line.