Who could the New York Jets select in the 2020 NFL Draft? It starts and ends with help for Sam Darnold.
It was an unpleasant start to the 2019 season for the New York Jets, who lost quarterback Sam Darnold with mono and started a pathetic 1-7, with losses to the Browns, Jaguars, and Dolphins along the way. In a surprising turn of events, they righted the ship in the second half of season, finishing with a respectable record of 7-9.
It will be an interesting offseason for general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Adam Gase, who didn’t have much success in his previous tenure in Miami. It’s all about continuing to develop Darnold as he enters his crucial third season in the league.
According to Over The Cap, the Jets have about $49 million in cap space at the moment, but could find a way to get more room with a few cuts. They can make a couple big signings, but their focus should be on the draft. Let’s take a look at who they could take in this mock draft.
It’s going to come down to the preference of Douglas and Gase, but their options at No. 11 should be tackle, edge rusher or wide receiver. Here, they go tackle and select Andrew Thomas out of Georgia.
Thomas has been dropping a little bit in mock drafts recently, sometimes ending up the fourth tackle off the board. There are some concerns with his agility, but he’s a refined technician who protected Jake Fromm extremely well in pass protection. He’s also very physical as a run blocker. His ceiling might not be as high as some, but he’s got a strong floor and can be an instant upgrade at tackle to protect Darnold.