The New York Jets can use an arsenal of picks to rebuild in the 2021 NFL Draft.
At 0-8, the New York Jets find themselves in a dire situation in NFL Week 9. It’s one bad performance after another for the Jets and pressure is mounting on head coach Adam Gase, who’s time in New York is running out. Put simply, his hopes of coaching this franchise into his third season are fading.
Jets fans have voiced their frustrations over Gase’s handling of quarterback Sam Darnold in addition to his play-calling. The criticism of his play-calling has grown stronger after every loss in 2020. Darnold’s future with Gang Green has been in doubt with the Jets set on landing the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, giving them the opportunity to select Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
Before the season began, having the league’s worst record would not even have crossed the minds of fans. But as the only winless team remaining in the league, this looks like a harsh reality. There was hope for Darnold heading into 2020 but this year, he has been failed by his coaches. However, Darnold has not been faultless. He has made reckless and unnecessary decisions throughout this season.
Blame what you want on his supporting cast, he has often reverted back to making decisions we’d seen in his rookie season. Poor decision-making has plagued his career prevented him from making that leap to the next level and fully asserting himself as a franchise quarterback. And with that paltry supporting cast, life as Jet hasn’t been easy for Darnold.
General manager Joe Douglas needs to use the 2021 NFL Draft wisely for the Jets to be able to back bounce back from this disappointing season. Along with the utilization of free agency, Douglas has a hard challenge ahead of him. But with multiple picks in this draft, we could see a new improved Jets in 2021 and, more importantly, for the long-term future of the organization.
There are many positional holes that the Jets need to fill heading into next year. So how does Douglas use New York’s draft picks to strengthen the roster? Let’s explore some possibilities in a 7-round 2021 NFL mock draft for the New York Jets.