With just one more week to go in the 2023 regular season, the New York Jets are ready to turn the page.
This season was supposed to go a whole lot differently, but it began and ended with one play in the team's very first game of the year. Aaron Rodgers' Achilles injury derailed any hope of a postseason berth and run, proving that you cannot bank an entire season on just one player alone.
A better point might be that the Jets did not insure themselves well enough. When Rodgers went down, so did their season. Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian have not done enough.
In our most recent 2024 NFL mock draft, the Jets find a way to make sure they have some insurance going forward.
To kick things off, New York trades down from their current position to add a second rounder.
With their no. 18 pick, New York goes after a starting left tackle to try and shore up an area of great need.
Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga is a 6-foot-6 behemoth who is good in both aspects of the game, but he might just be the best run-blocking tackle in his class. Fuaga's strength is, by far and away, his best trait. He's simply stronger than anyone you can put in front of him.
In the run game, he does more than just bulldoze opposing defenders. He completely buries them. Fuaga is the physical, imposing presence the Jets need up front and he is also a capable pass blocker. He moves well and his hand strength allows him to be an asset protecting the quarterback.
Going into the 2024 season, Rodgers (or whomever else might end up under center) will be protected a whole lot better. But, Breece Hall will also have more ease finding running lanes -- another area needing improvement.
With their second-round pick acquired from Pittsburgh, the Jets use the selection on a player that will prove to be a huge boost to the offense. Complimenting Garrett Wilson, going forward, will be Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
Standing 6-foot-4, 196 pounds, Mitchell is every bit of your prototypical outside receiver. On a depth chart severely lacking a true no. 2 option, Mitchell will step right into that role immediately. His size and overall length allow him to be a bully to opposing defensive backs, which is easy to see when watching his tape. His size is certainly a huge plus.
In addition, he moves well for a guy his size. Whether it be his footwork or hip movement, he uses these intricate areas to confuse defensive backs while running a pretty well-rounded route tree. One simple, yet effective route that Mitchell uses as his bread and butter, is the slant. On slants, he is able to cut so quickly that, combined with his size, he is effectively always open.
This past season, Mitchell caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. He'll pair nicely with Wilson, taking some pressure off the ascending, young wideout.
Funny enough, it just so happened to work out that the Jets would go on to take one of Mitchell's Longhorn teammates in defensive tackle Byron Murphy II in the third round. The Jets were extremely vulnerable against the run over the course of the 2023 season, and Murphy will come in and be part of the solution here.
At 6-foot-1, 308 pounds, Murphy packs a big-boy frame. He's a big dude, but he gets off the line of scrimmage much faster than you'd assume. That's part of what makes him so good, and also allows for teams to line him up both on the interior and, occasionally, at defensive end.
Murphy is a well-rounded lineman who can both stop the run and put pressure on quarterbacks. He moves well for a guy his size, using his big, strong frame in an impressive manner. He is rarely pushed off his base, possessing very strong legs which allow him to take on that initial punch from opposing linemen with relative ease.
The biggest concern for Murphy is a lack of height, but his low and firm base can also be used as a strength. If he stays consistent with where he wins, he'll have no problem finding success as a pro.
In the fourth round, the Jets finally get their insurance for Rodgers. On one hand, it seems hilarious that a fourth-round pick will come in and supplant the former no. 2 overall pick in Zach Wilson and provide a better backup plan. But, we've seen who Wilson is. I think it's safe to say the Jets can move on and look for better options backing up their starter in Rodgers.
While a lot of this year's quarterbacks have one or two things that blow you away, Tulane's Michael Pratt does not. With that said, Pratt is more of a guy who does a lot of things well, but nothing at an elite level.
He can make all the throws, whether it be short, intermediate or deep. He is also mobile enough to escape pressure, throw on the run or make plays with his legs when needed.
Pratt, quite frankly, projects as a fantastic backup quarterback. He isn't a guy that will likely pan out to be a starter or a "franchise quarterback," by any means, but he'll be good enough to depend on when you need him. This season, he tossed 22 touchdowns versus just five interceptions in 11 games.
With their final pick in the draft coming in the fourth round, the Jets very well could end up trading back to acquire more capital. But, for the sake of this mock, we couldn't pass up on giving them Tyler Davis at this spot.
Davis comes into the NFL having his best trait come against the run. He is more than a capable run defender and gives opposing lineman a quick strike off the line of scrimmage, many times disrupting running lanes or throwing blocks off-balanced.
Like Murphy, Davis is a little undersized for an interior lineman at 6-foot-2, 300 pounds. But, this also allows him to win the low battle and get off the line of scrimmage quickly, also like Murphy.
The Jets' run defense should be in much better hands with the additions of Davis and Murphy after a season that saw them give up over 126 yards per game on the ground.