Posted January 08, 2018 at 06:00 AM | Updated January 08, 2018 at 07:17 AM
By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Baker Mayfield
AP Photo
To make things more realistic, we used the FanSpeak.com mock draft simulator to guide our projections. Onward with them, with the obvious caveat that the final draft order hasn't even been set yet, and compensatory picks haven't been distributed. So things could change. But we know the Jets are drafting sixth overall again. Might they take Mayfield there? Or later? Or not at all?
ROUND 1 (NO. 6): QB JOSH ROSEN, UCLA
Hey, in this simulation, he was there for the Jets at No. 6. And if he is there for them at that spot (presuming they don't trade up), they have to take him. The top five in this simulation: quarterback Sam Darnold, running back Saquon Barkley, running back Derrius Guice, cornerback Josh Jackson, and quarterback Josh Allen. Rosen might not fall to the Jets at No. 6, but Maccagnan would surely love to see this happen.
ROUND 2 (NO. 37): RB KERRYON JOHNSON, AUBURN
The Jets obviously have other needs besides quarterback, and getting Rosen in Round 1 lets them address some of those other needs with their two second-round picks — one of which they acquired in the Sheldon Richardson trade with the Seahawks. (Again, this presumes the Jets don't trade up in Round 1.) The Jets need a game-breaking running back. Bilal Powell and Eli McGuire are fine players, but not stars. Johnson ran for 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns this past season.
ROUND 2 (NO. 49): OLB DORANCE ARMSTRONG JR., KANSAS
The Jets haven't gotten enough from their edge rushers in recent years, despite using two third-round picks on the position — Lorenzo Mauldin in 2015 and Jordan Jenkins in 2016. Will Armstrong do the trick for the Jets at this big-need position for them? He had just 1.5 sacks in 2017, but had 10 in 2016. In terms of tackles for loss, he had nine in 2017 and 20 in 2016. So the production is there. Can it translate to the NFL?