New York Jets 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Secondary Gets Major Boost
By Evan Bachman
This New York Jets full seven round mock draft features additions on both sides of the ball including at cornerback, offensive line, and receiver.
The New York Jets are in the midst of yet another underwhelming season, leaving fans with not much to look forward to besides April’s draft.
Clearly they are a roster that needs a lot more talent on both sides of the ball. The offense is scoring just 17.9 points per game, which is 27th in the league. Meanwhile, the defense is giving up 30.6 points per game, which is last in the league. They have promising young players, but need some more help.
So, without further ado let’s project what their draft class could look like in April.
New York Jets 2022 NFL mock draft
Round 1, 4th Overall: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
The New York Jets are a roster with a lot of needs on both sides of the ball, so there’s multiple directions they could go. I think they’ll ultimately just go with whoever they view as the best player on the board. Luckily for them there’s multiple blue-chip caliber prospects in this class.
Derek Stingley Jr. certainly qualifies as a blue-chip caliber prospect as he is easily one the best players in the draft and on top of that he plays corner, which is a position that is very valuable in today’s NFL.
He possesses all the physical tools you could possibly want in a corner as he’s got great size (6-foot-2), he’s very athletic, and he moves quite fluidly. What makes him truly special as a corner however are his rare ball skills, and as a freshman at LSU he picked off six passes and broke up a total of 15, which are numbers you almost never see, especially from a freshman playing in the SEC.
Round 1, 8th Overall: Ikem Ekwonu, OL, NC State
This pick comes from the Seahawks via the Jamal Adams trade and at the present moment it gives the New York Jets two selections in the top ten. The last two drafts the New York Jets have spent first round picks on a left tackle and a left guard, which is a good foundation to building this offensive line. Ikem Ekwonu could come in and play either tackle or guard.
Ekwonu has been dominant this season for NC State, as he’s been dominant in run blocking and consistent in pass protection. Ekwonu has played all of his snaps this season at left tackle, which he could play in the NFL, but he could also kick inside and play guard if necessary.
The biggest thing to like about Ekwonu’s game is how dominant he is as a run blocker, as he’s very powerful and often drives defenders backwards. He also is more than capable as a pass protector as well making him a great fit for the New York Jets.