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New York Jets: 7-Round 2016 NFL Mock Draft

By Luis Tirado Jr.

Dec 14, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Jets logo prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Jets logo prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 5, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler (6) throws a pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the Pac-12 Conference football championship game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler (6) throws a pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the Pac-12 Conference football championship game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Round 5- QB Cody Kessler, USC

Make no mistake about it, the Jets will more than likely bring back quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for next season and beyond. Geno Smith is still under contract until 2017, at which point he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. It actually makes sense to keep Smith around due to his familiarity on offense but due to his summer incident that earned him a spot on the injury list and losing his starting spot, his days on the Jets could be over. It wouldn’t surprise many at all if the Jets decided to part ways in the off-season.

Waiting in the wings is quarterback Bryce Petty who has potential to be the real deal but needs another year or two of development before he’s ready to be in the conversation to be the next starter under center for the Jets. If the Jets decide to cut ties with Smith this off-season, it makes sense to have Fitzpatrick as starter, Petty as backup and draft another quarterback for development. Most teams have three quarterbacks on their depth charts and since Petty should be capable of being a decent backup, it makes sense for the Jets to draft Cody Kessler out of USC.

Kessler is known to be able to handle a pro-style offense well and has a good enough skill-set to be a good quarterback in the NFL. He might be a bit on the light side with his size of 6’1 and 215 pounds but his determination and heart to get the job done sets him apart from others at his position during the later rounds of the draft. He makes good decisions in the pocket and once he gets some good coaching and mentoring, he could develop into a very good quarterback down the road.

The Jets have yet to produce a franchise quarterback the right way by drafting a hopeful athlete that can be developed the right way straight to glory. Hopefully Petty can be the answer in the future but if not, it’s always good to have more options in case things don’t turn out as expected. Someone like Kessler could step in and be the answer the Jets will need at the position in case Petty turns out to not be the answer.

Next: Round 6

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