NFL Mock Draft 2025: 3-round New York Jets projection with and without Aaron Rodgers’ return

It's been clear for quite some time that the New York Jets are an abject disaster. Whatever hopes this franchise had of Aaron Rodgers saving them, at least in the 2024 season, have been in the dirt for a long while. What remains unclear looking ahead to the future in 2025 and beyond, however, is if the Jets will elect to run it back with Rodgers, especially with the quarterback showing marked improvement down the final stretch of this season.

Rodgers presents a fascinating conundrum for the Jets. The organization has succumbed to many of his whims since his arrival prior to the 2023 campaign, including instituting a regime change that now has New York searching for a new head coach and general manager. Do they want a clean break from that with the new regime, whoever they may be, or do they want one more shot?

We don't have a definitive answer to that question, so it's worth considering what the offseason, the 2025 NFL Draft in particular, could look like for the Jets both with and without Rodgers returning. The process could be quite different, so let's dive into both scenarios with a 3-round mock draft projection for New York for Rodgers' return and for a post-Rodgers roster.

Jets 2025 NFL Mock Draft if Aaron Rodgers returns to New York

Round 1: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

If Rodgers returns to New York, I fully expect the Jets process to be centered around the franchise still catering to the multi-time MVP at quarterback. So that starts in the first round. While offensive tackle would perhaps be the bigger need given the age of Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith as stopgap options, there's a chance the top two players at the position are gone. Even if they aren't, though, adding a player like Mizzou wideout Luther Burden III feels more the speed of helping QB1 out.

With Garrett Wilson rumblings suggesting a potential discourse about the incumbent receiver's future in New York already, the Jets could direly need another high-end pass-catcher, especially with concerns around Davante Adams' age being valid at this point. No matter what, though, Burden is a can't-pass-up type of prospect. While his size isn't elite, his ability as a route-runner and weapon after the catch make him a potential 1A or 1B option for any passing offense.

Round 2: Grey Zabel, OT, North Dakota State

Back in Round 2, that's when the Jets can then turn their attention to the offensive line, specifically at a player like Grey Zabel in this case. Ideally, someone like West Virginia's Wyatt Milum would fall to New York early on Day 2 but that's not something they can bank on.

Zabel showed a ton of potential at NDSU and, more importantly, appears to check the boxes for size and movement skills that you might worry about with an FCS prospect making the jump. If there is a learning curve, though, bringing back Moses or Smith as a veteran stopgap could ultimately give Zabel the necessary runway to get up to speed (and size) needed in the NFL and be a long-term protector with Olu Fashanu as bookends.

Round 3 (via DET): Josaiah Stewart, EDGE, Michigan

While first-round prospects Mason Graham and Will Johnson get most of the love as Michigan draft prospects, don't sleep on Josaiah Stewart either. He registered nine sacks for the Wolverines this past season. That's impressive in its own right, to be sure, but the PFF metrics ($) show that he's even more disruptive with a pass rush grade over 92 on the 2024 season.

The Haason Reddick trade was a whiff of epic proportions for the Jets given that he didn't play for more than half the season, but he's also set to hit free agency this offseason. Getting younger on the defense and on the edge in particular could be of great benefit to New York in the immediate and in the long-term alike.

Jets 2025 NFL Mock Draft if New York moves on from Aaron Rodgers

Round 1: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

This starts with the idea that the new regime would move on from Rodgers, either by way of a trade or even an outright (albeit costly) release this offseason. If that happens, Jets fans would hopefully be set to witness a wholesale infrastructural change in how the team would do business. So that would then mean that the organization would be best served by taking care of the dirty work. That then turns the attention to a player like Kelvin Banks Jr. at tackle.

After taking Fashanu in the first round of last year's draft, doubling up would be wise. As mentioned, they need to get younger at the position and, while most places have Will Campbell ranked ahead of Banks, the Texas product is my favorite tackle prospect in the 2025 draft. He's allowed just two sacks and two hits across more than 1,700 snaps in the past two seasons and could give the Jets and whoever they bring in at quarterback — they likely won't be in range to get a worthwhile option in the draft — elite, young protection on either side.

Round 2: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss

No matter if Rodgers comes back or not, the Jets' point when it comes to replacing Reddick and getting younger on defense still stands, but the absence of the veteran quarterback may afford New York a better opportunity to get a more premium player at edge rusher than if they were more inclined to help Rodgers out directly by drafting a wide receiver in the Top 50 picks. Thus, welcome to the Big Apple, Princely Umanmielen.

After transferring to Ole Miss from Florida this past season, Umanmielen truly broke out, notching an impressive 11 sacks for the Rebels and emerging as a true force for the defense. Moreover, he stands out with a 6-foot-4, 255-pound frame with plus athleticism as a player who can succeed with his pass rush at the pro level but also has the ability to hold up consistently against the run. That's the type of upside the Jets should be salivating over.

Round 3 (via DET): Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State

Because of the Adams trade, the Jets don't have their own third-rounder but do have the Lions', which we didn't mention before. That could potentially take them out of range of some more attractive wide receiver options that they need to add. Then again, Jaylin Noel is already on my short list of the most underrated players in the 2025 draft — and not just at receiver.

While he isn't a big body at 5-foot-11, he has a strong frame that shows up with a 45.5% win rate in contested catch situations this past year for the Cyclones. He isn't an elite athlete but he shows the requisite speed and quickness to get open at the next level. What amplifies that is some smooth, clean and twitchy route-running that gets him the space he needs with extremely strong hands. Pairing him with Adams and Wilson or in a WR2 role even would be worth it for the next Jets quarterback to have more options at his disposal.