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The Cardholder of the 2019 NFL Draft

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The day is Thursday, April 25th and the New York Jets are on the clock with the third overall selection in this year’s draft. Questions swirl around who the pick will be and mock drafts across the internet have had a variety of players landing there for months. But finally, the night is here, and we are minutes away from finding out the true pick for the team.

Who will it be? Is a trade down realistically in the books? Let’s start off with laying out the options for the pick below.

The Cardholder of the 2019 NFL Draft

The truth is that the Jets could go a variety of ways with their pick and all could be justified. But what does the organization value most is what we must ask ourselves?

Option One: A Trade Down

What was rumored for months was officially announced, the Jets are in fact evaluating all trade back scenarios. But how far would the realistically trade back? Who could be the contenders for their pick?

First off let’s evaluate if a trade back is on the board. After trading up to select Sam Darnold in last year’s draft the team is left without a second round pick this year. Dropping back a few spots could give them those assets back and help build a roster that is truly lacking throughout.

The contenders for the pick you ask? Of course, any team looking for a quarterback could be a realistic option. Assuming Kyler Murray goes, the demand for Dwayne Haskins could be strong enough that a team trades the farm to move up. Realistically though moving outside the top ten is a stretch as you could miss out on a blue-chip player. Inside the top ten, you have teams such as the New York Giants and Denver Broncos in need of a quarterback. But with Denver trading for Joe Flacco that seems a little unrealistic. As for the Giants, they may be a true wildcard.

Despite continuously stating their belief in Eli Manning, most expect the Giants to invest in a quarterback. In my opinion, the Giants going another way would be smart and they have often been linked to Daniel Jones at 17th overall.

That leaves teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins as top candidates outside the top ten to move up. But what would the value and capital be to jump back that far be? As it could be too little for the Jets liking, ultimately leading them to stay where they are at.

Bottom line: don’t count a trade back out of the options for the Jets but right now it seems a little unrealistic with the option laid out above.

Option Two: Offensive Line

So, with that, we move onto their next option. Protecting Darnold should be a top priority for this team. Adding a player such as Jawaan Taylor could shore up that need instantly.

While this may be too early for some it does make a whole lot of sense. Taylor really came alive this past season and have flown up draft boards because of it. A true right tackle who has a blend of size, length, power, and movement to be an instant impact for the team who drafts him. While he may have some technical issues to clean up his improvement every season should is nothing to write off.

As a pass blocker, he has rare lateral movement for his size and can really stun rushers with his hands. His body control and foot quickness help him not get beat up the arc and stop edge rushers in their tracks. Cleaning up has hand placement and timing of his punches will only help him at the next level.

Option Three: Take Good Players

Quinnen Williams, you’ve probably heard the name before. Yeah, the most dominant player in college football last year; who wouldn’t want him? Even better, he is a legit need for the Jets.

While yes, they do still have Leonard Williams it’s looking more and more like a new contract with the team is not in the long-term plans. His name has been repeatedly put in the trade block conversation so why not take his replacement before you give up an asset of his stature?

There’s a legit argument to be made about Williams being the best player in this year’s class. And with Nick Bosa likely off the board, he is definitely the best available. One of the best pieces of advice to remember during the draft is to not let good players prevent you from taking great ones.

Option Four: The Pressures On

You know I’ve heard putting pressure on an opposing teams’ quarterback is a good thing. You know what the Jets have been lacking the past few years? That’s right pressure off the edge. So logically in this year’s stacked class, they could have any number of choices when they are on the clock.

As stated above, Bosa is most likely gone here but he would be the easy choice if available. That leaves the likes of Brian Burns and Josh Allen as realistic options for the team.

First off, the second-best edge player and top-five player in this year’s class, Brian Burns. This kid has bend for days, boosting the best flexibility in the class. On top of that Burns silenced all questions about his weight coming into the combine at 249 pounds and then tested out the roof. Showing everyone, he has a ton of explosiveness with the weight added.

But don’t be fooled he also has counter moves at his disposal for days. He constantly sets up blockers thinking two or three moves ahead at times. On top of that, he has a nasty spin move that’ll put move tackles in a blender.

Enough about my man crush in this year draft, let’s move onto Allen. Allen ran circles around tackles all last season and has often been described as the best player many offensive linemen faced all year. The tape definitely backs up the stats and he took a gigantic step this past season.

Option Five: Let’s Talk Wildcards

Let’s have some fun with it, I mean, after all, that’s what we are all here to do right? DK Metcalf, come on down. In reality, the team likely won’t go this direction, as they have prevalent other needs and the depth of the receiver class is immense but it’s fun to toy with the idea.

A lot has been said about Metcalf’s ability since his combine performance. Yes, it’s true he ran a fast 40 and yes, it’s true he ran a three-cone in the second percentile. Both are true and shouldn’t be taken to much out of context. While his three-cone is bad it doesn’t mean he can’t run a route or break out of them. He has shown plenty on tape of him doing so and has all the traits to expand his route tree further than Ole Miss system allowed. Metcalf has the size, speed, and playmaking ability to be very successful in an NFL offense.

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