NFL Mock Draft: Jets 3-round projection after hiring Aaron Glenn as HC

After a nightmare 2024 season, the New York Jets finally found a glimmer of hope, closing the deal with top target Aaron Glenn to become the team's next head coach. Glenn will be returning to the team that drafted him as a cornerback some three decades ago, but he's much more than a feel-good story; he's one of the best defensive minds in the NFL, one whose ability to lead and communicate with a locker room has never been in question.

Glenn emerged as the Jets' top choice early, and Woody Johnson deserves credit for getting his man. Now, though, the real work begins: New York's roster is still a bit of a mess, despite a slew of talented players, and Glenn will have his work cut out for him to get this team back into contention in 2025. Next spring's NFL Draft will be a huge part of that process, and with Glenn at the helm, we now have a better sense of how the Jets might choose to attack things.

Round 1: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

At No. 7 overall, New York likely won't be in position to draft one of the two top quarterbacks in this draft, but there are several different directions the team could go. A top offensive lineman like Will Campbell or Kelvin Banks Jr.? A lockdown corner in Will Johnson to pair with Sauce Gardner? Or maybe a game-changing edge rusher in Abdul Carter?

All of them would make a certain degree of sense. But Graham feels as can't-miss as any prospect in this draft, and pairing him with Quinnen Williams on the interior would give the Jets one of the very best run defenses in the league. Plus, Graham is a menace rushing the passer as well, which should help the Jets make up for the potential loss of CB D.J. Reed in free agency. For a team with so many needs, taking a sure-fire starter in the top 10 feels like the safest route.

Round 2: Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame

Now we can get Glenn his enforcer. Watts was one of the best defensive players in the country at Notre Dame this season, making plays in man coverage, patrolling center field and flying down against the run en route to consensus All-American honors. He can solve a ton of different problems depending on need, and could give Glenn a Brian Branch-style chess piece in the middle of the field. Again, the Jets have too many needs to let that dictate the course of their draft; priority No. 1 is to simply take talented players, and Watts fits that to a tee.

Round 3: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

Much of the Jets' offensive line is already set; Alijah Vera-Tucker, Joe Tippmann and John Simpson are rock-solid on the interior, and Olu Fashanu blossomed down the stretch after taking over for Tyron Smith. But Morgan Moses is set to hit free agency this offseason, and finding a potential replacement at tackle would a huge boon for this New York offense.

Ersery was the anchor of a very solid Minnesota line in 2024, and certainly looks the part in pass protection, giving Aaron Rodgers (or whoever winds up at quarterback for this team next season) a pair of bookends capable of providing some much-needed security. Glenn knows from his time in Detroit just how important an offensive line is, and hitting here would put New York in great position into the future.