2020 NFL Draft: Grading each New York Jets draft pick

We’ll go pick by pick in this slideshow with 2020 NFL Draft grades and analysis for every selection made by the New York Jets.

The 2020 NFL Draft came and went with the New York Jets addressing some serious needs, while also making some surprising selections. Going into the draft general manager Joe Douglas needed to get some help for Sam Darnold, and I believe he did a decent job in doing so.

Douglas did a good job of accumulating draft picks by trading down twice on day two of the 2020 NFL Draft. His first trade left New York Jets fans feeling nervous and antsy because of the level of talent at the wide receiver position that was still on the board. However, he still got great value in Baylor Wide receiver Denzel Mims while adding an extra draft pick.

His second trade came at the end of day two when he traded his last of three third-round picks to the New England Patriots for two fourth-round picks and a 2021 sixth-round pick. There could’ve been a playmaker for Sam Darnold, but you can’t fault the New York Jets for collecting more picks.

The New York Jets made nine selections in the 2020 NFL Draft as they traded their tenth and final pick to the Indianapolis Colts for cornerback Quincy Wilson. New York needed to add some much-needed depth for their secondary and they definitely added to it this weekend. Including trading for Wilson and signing UDFA’s the New York Jets came away with five new defensive backs over the weekend.

While the New York Jets picked up some secondary help, they still had Darnold on their mind all weekend. With nine total selections, the Jets used five on offensive players. While one of them was used on a backup quarterback, the rest were filled by two playmakers and two big offensive linemen. With all of that being said, let’s dive into this New York Jets 2020 NFL Draft class.

1.11: Mekhi Becton, LT, Louisville

After three days to really process this draft pick my views on Becton are still the same, but I am more positive and optimistic that the New York Jets got the right guy. I initially was upset when New York past up Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, but the Jets needed a true left tackle and Becton is more polished in that area than Wirfs.

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I still view this pick as a gamble though as there are questions whether he truly loves the game. Becton has the potential to be the best tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he still needs a lot of work before we put him in the starting lineup. It won’t look pretty the first time he plays a preseason game, especially with no OTA’s and minicamps to help him progress early.

However, it is easy to get lost in Becton’s tape when he’s tossing 270-pound defensive ends like rag dolls. This pick should  usher in a new team philosophy: smash mouth football. Becton may need some fine-tuning as a pass protector, but boy is he a monster in the run game. Le’Veon Bell should be making a new song about his new 6-foot-7 and 364-pound friend.

Last season Bell had a very tough return to the NFL, but anyone with eyes could tell you he was far from the problem. Adam Gase couldn’t get him going with head-scratching and uncreative play designs but let’s not pile on the coach as the offensive line was the number one issue here. The entire unit was missing practices with injuries which led to missed games, which then led to a lack of continuity between the ever-changing starting unit.

Joe Douglas said the offensive line would be their top priority and he was kidding. Including Becton, the New York Jets added five new offensive linemen and brought back Alex Lewis. New York and their fans are hoping that Becton will be protecting Darnold’s blindside well into the next decade.

Grade: A-  

2.59: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

Before the actual selection was made, the New York Jets traded out of pick 48 with a bunch of playmakers on the board, causing fans to hold their breath. However, when the pick was announced Jets Nation let out a sigh of relief followed by hysterical laughing.

The New York Jets traded down 11 spots and still landed a potential number one receiver in Denzel Mims while also picking up an extra third-round pick. This was tremendous value as numerous draft experts had Mims going in the back end of the first round.

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When the Jets made the call to Mims, his response was less excited and more of anger. He wasn’t angry that he was about to be a New York Jet, but because of how many teams passed him over. He’ll bring that anger and chip on his shoulder when he suits up every Sunday for Gang Green. Mims is a player that wants the ball in crunch time and big moments, so New York may have gotten a big-time steal in the second round.

One reason why Mims endured a mini slide could be that he had some drops issues in his Junior season. However, it was noted that he actually played the 2018 season with a broken hand, which will obviously affect his ability to catch the ball.

When comparing his 2018 numbers to this past season, Mims improved in every statistic. In 2018, he finished with 55 catches for 794 yards (14.4 AVG) and eight touchdowns. This past season, Mims’ numbers went up. He totaled 66 receptions for 1,020 yards (15.5 AVG) and 12 touchdowns. You can see how much the broken hand truly affected his gameplay.

As for how he’ll help the New York Jets, Mims is a big, physical receiver that will go up and snatch the football out of the air. He has an entire highlight reel where he makes insane acrobatic catches. If Darnold is in trouble he’ll know where to go with the football. Based on need and value this selection will get a high grade from me.

Grade: A 

3.68: Ashtyn Davis, DB, California

This is far from the biggest head-scratcher in the 2020 NFL Draft, but when the New York Jets selected Cal defensive back Ashtyn Davis it left a lot of fans perplexed. Don’t get me wrong the Jets need help in the secondary, but there were bigger needs elsewhere that could’ve been filled here. However, with that being said I actually LOVE the prospect.

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New York won’t have to force Davis into any specific role as he’ll gladly play wherever coach Gregg Williams wants him. He has great speed being a former track star in hurdles and he will bring the big hits. He’s a walk-on at Cal where he basically forced the coaching staff to give him a spot. He’s a leader and team captain which was apparently the theme on day three of the 2020 NFL Draft for the Jets.

In 2019 Davis had 2 interceptions with 4 passes defended and 55 total tackles. He should be able to contribute right away on special teams in coverages and as a returner.

This selection may have been a shock, but Douglas said they will stick to their board and take the best football players that they possibly can and he stayed true to that. Davis was my 52 ranked player and came off the board in the third round at 68 overall. That is some fantastic value for the New York Jets. When your roster is as talent deprived as Gang Green sometimes it’s worth going best player available over need which is why this selection gets a high grade.

Grade: A-  

3.79: Jabari Zuniga, DE, Florida

Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, pass rusher was a big need for the New York Jets and they got some nice potential in Florida defensive end Jabari Zuniga. They also needed to get more athletic up front and off the edge, which Zuniga certainly provides.

There will be some mixed reports on Zuniga whether or not he can be an affecting pass rusher, but with his power and athleticism, I don’t see why he can’t develop into a consistent pass rusher. If you turn on the tape Zuniga gets into the backfield a ton stuffing runners as well as quarterbacks behind the line.

He showed some real promise in his 2019 season before suffering a high ankle sprain. He finished with three sacks and 12 total tackles in just five games played. However, in 12 games in 2018, Zuniga totaled 6.5 sacks and 45 tackles including 11.5 for loss.

Zuniga has “twitch” which was echoed on ESPN by Booger McFarland. He’s fast off the ball and can win with his first step. He’ll need to develop into more of a pass rusher before we see respectable numbers. I think he could be a very well rounded defender early on. He understands his assignments and will do his job. Due to addressing a team need this will get a good grade, but there may have been better prospects still available on the board.

Grade: B+  

4.120: Lamical Perine, RB, Florida

The New York Jets were rumored to be looking for their running back of the future and they may have found him in the 2020 NFL Draft. I have seen a bunch of evaluations saying Perine doesn’t do any one thing at a high level, but he does do everything fairly well. I’m not sure how that is a knock on a player, but to me, it just shows how much of a well-rounded player he truly is.

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Perine possesses the breakaway speed that the Jets have been desperately missing. He has great vision and balance to succeed at the next level as well. I believe he could be a great compliment to Bell for the 2020 season as well. Perine has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as he had 40 receptions in 2019 for the Florida Gators.

In my evaluation and scouting report back in January, I gave Perine a 4th round grade and that is exactly where he wound up going. So based on my own evaluation and rankings of Perine and factoring the Jets team needs, I gave them a decent grade. Darnold needs weapons and it doesn’t matter what position they play. They now have two running backs that can help out in the passing game.

Grade: B

4.125: James Morgan, QB,  Florida International

This was the biggest shock of them all when the New York Jets selected a quarterback in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. I completely understand why they did it, but it just seemed a tad early to grab a backup quarterback.

I am not very familiar with James Morgan so I won’t be providing much of an evaluation, but I do know that he’s a gunslinger. He grew up in Green Bay and was a huge Brett Favre fan, so it makes sense why he would adopt his play style.

Let us not forget that Joe Douglas knows how important backup quarterbacks are in the NFL as he won two of his three Super Bowl rings with a backup signal-caller. Also, if you watched those three games without Darnold (I’m sorry) you would know that the Jets need to find a competent backup quarterback.

Grade: C+ 

4.129: Cameron Clark, OL, Charlotte

When Douglas told Darnold’s parents eleven months ago that he would do everything in his power to protect their son he was joking. Cameron Clark marks the sixth new addition to the New York Jets offensive line and second in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Again, I’ll admit when I’m not too familiar with prospects and Clark is one of them. I haven’t watched much of his tape, but when talking to some people that are familiar with his game he’s a guy that can play both guard or tackle in the NFL which is the exact versatility that Douglas looks for in his offensive lineman.

Clark also mentioned that he worked out with Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton in the past and they could now potentially line up next to each other with Clark at left guard and Becton at left tackle.

Grade: B+ 

5.158: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia

Boy, oh boy, did the New York Jets get the steal of the 2020 NFL Draft or what? Bryce Hall dropped all the way to the 5th round and was right there for Gang Green. Hall had some lower leg injuries at Virginia, but he was still expected to go on day two of the 2020 NFL Draft. However, he fell farther than originally thought.

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Hall is a big physical cornerback at 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds. He has nice footwork and long arms that allow him to be in a position to break up passes. Injuries are still a concern, but he’s expected to be fully cleared for whenever the season starts.

Cornerback was a pressing need for the New York Jets and they needed to come away with one in the 2020 NFL Draft. Hall may be best suited in a zone, but Gregg Williams is known to switch up his coverages and put his players in the best position to succeed. If he has Hall back in coverage where he can see both his man and keep eyes on the quarterback there will be potential for a boatload of picks.

Grade: A+  

6.191: Braden Mann, Punter, Texas A&M

Punters are people too! This spells the end of Lachlan Edwards in green and white as the New York Jets take a punter in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Braden Mann was the best punter in all of college football last season winning the Ray Guy award which is given to the Nation’s top punter. Mann can flip the field like nobody can imagine. There were punts that he kicked an inch from the back of the end zone and the ball still carried over the returner’s head.

For people that still don’t value punters, I have something for you to watch.

https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1254149644625608704

Field position matters a ton, especially in close games where every possession is crucial. If you have a guy that can flip the field in a blink of an eye, that should be viewed as a major weapon.

However, I do realize why fans were upset taking a punter. They wanted another receiver and I get it, but I guarantee Mann will be getting more touches than any receiver they would’ve taken. (That was a punter joke).

Grade: A-  

Overall Grade: B+

The New York Jets went into the 2020 NFL Draft with a talent deprived roster and came out with some very high potential players. General Manager Joe Douglas said he would draft the best players available regardless of position and that’s what he did, mostly.

With the exception of maybe Florida International quarterback James Morgan, the Jets took the best player on their board every pick. As mentioned earlier the Morgan pick is understandable but was a reach when other players were available.

The New York Jets only came away with one receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft, the deepest class in years, which is a bit of a disappointment. However, they did pick up a couple of undrafted receivers who could fight for a roster spot, but we’ll talk more about that another time. They did grab another weapon when they took running back La’Mical Perine. He does everything pretty and I believe he’ll be a better pro player than a collegiate player.

They addressed their secondary with a versatile defensive back in Ashtyn Davis and a long physical corner in Bryce Hall. Both players can expect the chance to play early for the New York Jets defense. Gregg Williams expects the very best and these guys will give all they’ve got.

The biggest takeaway from the Jets draft was how they valued the offensive line. After taking Mekhi Becton with their first-round pick, they grabbed another big man in Charlotte offensive lineman Cameron Clark. The two big boys have an opportunity to play alongside each other at left tackle and left guard.

Then came the punter. Special teams has been diminished by fans and NFL rule changes, however, having a very good punter could sometimes be the difference in a close win or loss. Braden Mann possesses the ability to flip the field which is a very crucial aspect of the game that goes unnoticed. Every fan gets upset when they have terrible starting field possession, but complain when their team grabs the best punter in college football.

The New York Jets did a very good job of grabbing high-value guys who can step in right away and have an impact from day one. They may have been a reach or two, but fans should be happy with the players that were taken. Every one of them has the potential to stick with the team for a long time, unlike past drafts.