After being champions of the offseason for the better part of a decade, the New York Jets took a more measured approach to free agency under the new regime of General Manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets did land their top target in quarterback Justin Fields, offering a potential short-term solution at the position with upside, but stayed away from big splashes otherwise.
The new approach appears to be targeting younger players with upside as nearly every free agent the Jets have signed is 27 or younger, with a goal of utilizing good coaching to uncover untapped potential. This philosophy makes drafting well important and the Jets have to try and balance utilizing their picks to address key needs while also looking for the best available players on the board.
How has the Jets' draft approach shifted after the first wave of free agency? Let's take a look at the latest mock draft of New York's top three draft picks.
New York Jets' 2025 Mock Draft After The First Wave Of Free Agency
First Round - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Right tackle is definitely a consideration here but the odds are that fast-rising Armand Membou won't make it to the seventh pick. The need for a strong defensive tackle was also lessened by some of the Jets' early free agency acquisitions, but the wide receiver room is lacking after Davante Adams was cut, with Tyler Johnson being the most notable pickup at the position.
Filling the hole opposite Garrett Wilson with McMillan, a 6-foot-4 receiver with a great ability to win jump balls and make big catches over the middle, adds a huge dimension to the Jets' offense. Pairing these two together would give Fields (or an eventual young successor from this draft or the next) two elite playmakers to work with for years.
Having a guy like McMillan around would also prevent opponents from double-teaming Wilson, keeping defenses honest as well. While there are some bigger name receivers still available in the free agent class, the fact that the Jets haven't been linked to any of them suggests they are focused on adding to their receiver room in the draft.
Second Round - Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Robert Saleh's defense with the Jets didn't place much emphasis on the safety position, often leaving it to be filled with bargain bin signings or late round draft picks. Glenn's schemes in Detroit place much more importance on safeties, which explains why the team picked up Andre Cisco early in free agency, but the Jets still need a starter opposite him.
Landing Starks at pick 42 is good value since he is an elite prospect at an undervalued position. The Georgia defense has produced plenty of NFL-caliber defenders in recent years and Starks was a three-year starter on Kirby Smart's team, showing off an elite ability to track the ball downfield while playing up as a run defender.
There is no doubt that Glenn would love to add a player like Starks to his defensive scheme and find a way to emphasize his strengths, which happen to fit areas that New York's secondary currently needs help in. Picking Starks would allow the Jets to bump Tony Adams down to a rotational safety role, which is more of an appropriate fit for his skill set.
Third Round - Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
The loss of Morgan Moses created a hole at right tackle that the Jets have been trying to fill for a bit. The free agent addition of Chukwuma Okorafor appears to be a band-aid and the team would prefer to avoid moving Alijah Vera-Tucker off of right guard, so picking Ersery here makes sense.
The Minnesota tackle has the kind of size (6-foot-6, 331 pounds) that makes him a prototypical fit for an NFL scheme. With 2024 first-rounder Olu Fashanu at left tackle, the Jets could slide Ersery to the right side and envision having bookend tackles to complete a young offensive line for the long haul.
There is a bit of development work to be done with Ersery since he didn't start playing football until his junior year of high school, but a good coaching staff will find a way to get the best out of him. Ersery played left tackle for Minnesota, holding his own against Big Ten competition, so a move to right tackle shouldn't be a problem for someone as athletic as Ersery is.