Same general offensive line theme as my first mock, where I matched the Jets with Penei Sewell as a presumable right tackle. This time, my model gives a slight edge to Slater due to his versatility to play guard or tackle and be multiple right out the gate. The Jets have not addressed their very needy O-line this offseason beyond adding C Dan Feeney. This pick at No. 2 also reflects the positive addition of RB Tevin Coleman, whose scheme familiarity with new Jets OC Mike LaFleur means the spaces Slater could clear would hold even more value.
Here’s my strategy note: It’s logical to assume that the Niners have some idea of what the Jets are up to and vice-versa, especially given the number of San Francisco coaches who just relocated to Florham Park. It’s not anything unfair or unusual — it would have been smart of the Dolphins to presumably leverage this in their trade haul for No. 3 — but this does strongly point to QB as the position selected here, and BYU’s Zach Wilson is the strongest rumored selection. That said, the general point of this mock is to maximize each team’s potential to win as many games as possible in 2021. My model gives Sam Darnold a 4.25 win share as the Jets’ 2021 starter, while Wilson adds 3.93 wins.
And hey, we’re in the thick of mock draft season. You’ve all seen a million first-round projections with Wilson going to the Jets. So … what if they actually stick with Darnold and go another route? An approach, I might add, that no one has conclusively ruled out. How would that impact Round 1 as a whole? This is a useful thought exercise!
