New York Jets 7-round 2021 mock draft: Do the Jets stick with Darnold?
By Edward Rollo
Sam Darnold has had a hard life as a Jet. He has been failed by his organization and his coach. He has the assets as a quarterback to succeed elsewhere in the NFL, however. It is unlikely that Darnold will prove enough in the remaining eight games of 2020 to be able to be favored above a generational talent like Trevor Lawrence.
By taking Lawrence at No. 1, the Jets will reset and begin the rebuild with the Clemson product at the forefront of it. Lawrence is showing us he is one of the greatest quarterback prospects of all-time and, with a new coach and some support from a deep draft class, he has the ability to change the future of the New York Jets.
Lawrence has amassed 83 touchdowns in his college career and has long been favored to be the No. 1 pick in 2021. But New York needs to focus on surrounding him with enough support for him to excel. If the Jets support Lawrence well during his early days in the Big Apple, this could be a franchise-changing pick for them.
After trading Jamal Adams to Seattle, the Jets can use their extra first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to fill a position that has lacked talent in recent years for New York. The Jets have longed for a top edge rusher for many years now. There is an abundance of talent in this position in this draft class. Hamilcar Rashed Jr. may not be the elite of the positional class but, at the end of the first round, he could be an impact performer still.
At just under 240 pounds and standing at 6-4, the Oregon State standout possesses both explosiveness and the ability to excel run defense. If the Jets are able to secure him, it would fill a massive hole on the roster with a powerful edge rusher who can consistently make plays in all facets of the defensive game.