The NFL Draft is coming up and it figures to be an important part of the New York Jets' roster-building process. After years of trying to win the offseason with splashy free agent pickups, the new Jets' regime has stayed away from big-ticket items, attacking the secondary market to try and find more value plays for the roster.
While the addition of Justin Fields at least temporarily solves the Jets' quarterback hole, New York still has a bunch of key needs on both sides of the ball, including right tackle, wide receiver, tight end, defensive tackle and safety. While previous mocks have covered the first three rounds of the Jets' approach, today's final mock draft for New York will cover their picks across all seven rounds.
First Round - Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
The loss of Morgan Moses has left the Jets with a big hole on the right side of their offensive line and they haven't done much to fill it in free agency. Free agent pickup Chukwuma Okorafor could be a decent stop gap but he has questions after essentially walking out on the Patriots last season while Carter Warren hasn't developed to the level necessary to be a starter in the NFL.
Membou has been a fast riser after strong workout results in the pre-draft circuit and there is a chance he doesn't reach the Jets at No. 7. New head coach Aaron Glenn comes from Detroit, where the Lions worked hard to build a strong offensive line before moving out to the skill positions, so don't be shocked if New York completes its line with Membou here before moving on to skill position needs later in the draft.
Second Round - Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
No position is in bigger need of help on the skill position side than tight end, where the Jets' depth chart consists of free agent pickup Stone Smartt, third-year tight end Jeremy Ruckert and developmental prospect Zach Kuntz. New York has been heavily linked to Tyler Warren in the pre-draft process and could go that way at No. 7 if Membou is off the board, but in this scenario they opt to go to the tackle need first and use their second pick on Taylor, an intriguing prospect out of LSU.
The son of former Jet Jason Taylor, Mason became the first tight end in Tigers history to record a 100-catch season for 1,000 yards. Besides having strong receiving skills, Taylor is also an excellent blocker, making him a good plug-and-play option that can help Fields, who needs a good tight end to achieve his full potential as the Jets' quarterback.
Third Round - Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
While the Jets did make some solid pickups in free agency at defensive tackle, they still could use a potential starter next to Quinnen Williams on the interior. Adding Tyleik Williams, who is a big presence at 6-foot-3 and weighs 334 pounds, could be the answer to this question since he is a strong run blocker and has excellent pass rushing skills for his position.
The depth that the Jets have built along the defensive line means that Tyleik Williams won't need to play every snap and can rotate in at the start of his career. This spot is the Jets' biggest weakness on the defensive line so filling it here will help New York fortify its trenches even further, which is an important step towards becoming a winner in the NFL.
Fourth Round - Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
Allen Lazard is still hanging around as the Jets' No. 2 receiver but New York really needs to upgrade the WR2 spot opposite Garrett Wilson. Enter Williams, who may be a bit undersized at 5-foot-11 but is extremely productive, catching 14 touchdowns for Washington State last season and showing an ability to get good jumps at the line of scrimmage.
Having an athletic playmaker like Williams opposite Wilson would be a good setup for Fields, who can use the deep ball to take shots downfield and open up the defense to utilize a strong rushing attack. There is still work for Williams to do in terms of improving his route-running but the skills are there for him to become a solid complimentary receiver in the NFL.
Fifth Round - Lathan Ransom, S, Ohio State
Former head coach Robert Saleh's defense didn't place much value on safety play, which is why the Jets essentially punted the position for the past few years, but Glenn's units need a lot out of their safeties. While New York added a ball-hawk in Andre Cisco in free agency, they can still use more depth at the position and get it here with Ransom, who plays more like a prototypical strong safety.
Ramsom is a very good run defender and a physical player who will deliver big hits to players crossing his territory in the middle of the field. Glenn would love the opportunity to add a player like Ransom to the Jets' secondary and develop his skills to the point where he is a leader on the unit.
Fifth Round - Shemar James, LB, Florida
The later rounds of the draft will offer the Jets the opportunity to find depth pieces with the potential to develop into future starters. This choice, which the Jets got from the Steelers in the Mike Williams trade, will be used to add some support to the linebacking corps with James, a two-year starter for Florida.
There is a lot to like with James, who is one of the youngest players in the class at his position, but he will need some coaching work to improve his technique and play recognition. The Jets have two good starters at linebacker in Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams so they have room to let James start off as a special teamer while getting occasional defensive snaps with an eye towards starting in the future.
Sixth Round - Elijah Roberts, EDGE, SMU
You can never have too many pass rushing prospects and the Jets take a developmental flier here on Roberts, who racked up a combined 131 pressures over the past two seasons to lead the FBS in that department. Roberts uses more power than speed in his pass rushing game, which could make him a good long-term counterpoint to Will McDonald, who uses his speed and lethal spin move to get past offensive tackles.
With Haason Reddick gone in free agency, Roberts could slot in as a rotational pass rusher behind McDonald and Jermaine Johnson. Glenn will also be a big fan of Roberts' strong character as a team captain for the Mustangs who plays with a seemingly limitless motor.
Sixth Round - Garrett Dellinger, G, LSU
The Jets don't have a seventh round pick thanks to a 2023 ham sandwich trade with the Kansas City Chiefs which sent Mecole Hardman and their seventh rounder out for Kansas City's sixth, and they'll use it here to add depth to the interior of their offensive line with Dellinger. A four-year starter at LSU, Dellinger played left guard and teamed with projected first rounder Will Campbell to form one of the most dynamic left sides of an offensive line in college football.
There are athletic limitations to Dellinger's game that will send him later into the draft, but his experience against SEC competition makes it worth taking a flier on as a depth option. Both of New York's starting guards (John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker) can be free agents after this season, so the Jets' coaching staff can use 2025 to see if Dellinger can become a cheap starting option for the 2026 team.