7. New York Jets - Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
The New York Jets may have taken Cam Ward if he fell into their laps at pick seven, but here in this NFL Mock Draft, the Jets were not able to trade up to pick one or grab either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward.
Mykel Williams is their pick as they get more stout along the defensive line. The new General Manager for the Jets is Darren Mougey, who was with the Denver Broncos for quite a while. They also hired Aaron Glenn, who was formerly an assistant on Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints staff.
So, there are a lot of Broncos connections here. New York is probably not going to be a very competitive team in 2025, but they do have enough talent to stay in just about every single game. I would expect this team could entertain pursing a veteran QB for a year, but Tyrod Taylor is in the mix, and he is very capable for a year.
Mougey may want to look more toward the 2026 NFL Draft for the New York Jets to find their franchise passer. This could be better than risking it with Sanders or Ward, who are not great prospects by any means.
8. Carolina Panthers - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Bryce Young getting benched seems to have helped him down the stretch in the 2024 NFL Season, but he still isn’t quite there yet. Year three is going to be huge for the young QB and the Carolina Panthers, who have to get another cornerback, pass rusher, and another weapon,.
At pick eight, Tetairoa McMillian is right there at pick eight and would make a lot of sense. Many have compared him to Drake London at the NFL level, which would be an accurate comparison. Young would absolutely benefit from having a player of his caliber.
The NFC South is also wide open, so if the Panthers have a strong offseason and fill some needs, there could be something frisky with this team heading into the 2025 NFL Season. It would not shock me to see Carolina take a pass rusher here, but the WR class in the 2025 NFL Draft is not all that deep, so it might be wise to grab the best one.