New York Jets 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Franchise reset begins with top 5 QB prospect
Can Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets turn their season around?
After firing head coach Robert Salah and trading for wide receiver Devante Adams, the Jets are attempting to salvage the 2024 NFL season, but a 2-5 start makes it difficult for sure. With some winnable games coming up on their schedule, Rodgers and the Jets are entering an important stretch. If they can string together victories, wheat they do in the 2025 NFL Draft could be different.
However, if Rodgers continues to look like a quarterback on the brink of retirement and the losses continue, there will be a reset in New York with the big question being whether the Jets can get it right and find the right head coach, quarterback combination to take the franchise forward.
Current state of the New York Jets
2024 NFL season record: 2-5, 3rd in the AFC East
Team offense: Rank 23rd (307.0 yards per game)
Team defense: Rank 6th (292.4 yards per game)
2025 NFL Draft position: No. 5
Top positional needs: S, TE, QB, DL
2025 NFL Draft outlook
The Jets currently hold the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and if things keep trending in a downward direction, they may have their eyes on taking a QB. If Rodgers returns another season, it might be in the Jets best interest to snag a top QB to learn behind the veteran. If he retires, well…the Jets undoubtedly need to address their quarterback needs with their top pick.
Top signal callers that should have the Jets attention with a top 10 pick are Georgia’s Carson Beck, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Beyond the top 10, QB prospects like Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier are intriguing selections.
Another top area of need is at safety and a defensive lineman. Michigan’s Mason Graham would be a player the Jets could consider as a top 5 pick for defensive line help. Top safety prospects include Georgia’s Malaki Starks, Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts and Texas’ Jahdae Barron.
Other areas of need for the Jets are tight end, more offensive depth and cornerback depth. Here is an early-season look at what general manager Joe Douglas and the Jets will do in this three-round NFL Mock Draft.
. 30. Cam Ward. QB | Miami. Cameron Ward. player. . . Cameron Ward. 5
Whether or not Rodgers remains another season, the Jets use the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to address the quarterback position. There will be a decision to make that high up in the draft, but taking Miami’s Cam Ward will be the hot choice by the Jets.
Ward, who has been showcasing his talent at the QB position, has the dual threat ability to take over as the king of New York. A season learning behind Rodgers would certainly benefit one of the top prospects in the nation, but if he had to come in and start Day 1, the Jets will have the supporting cast around him. A running game led by Breece Hall and playmakers around him would put less pressure on him and help him ease into his comfort much like Jayden Daniels in Washington and Caleb Williams in Chicago.
. 30. . 41. Nick Emmanwori. . Nick Emmanwori. player. S | South Carolina. Nick Emmanwori
The Jets will get help at safety with the selection of South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori. With D.J. Reed entering free agency, the Jets could decide to dip in the cornerback talent pool with this pick, but Emmanwori’s talent and speed at the position makes him a good fit with the Jets.
Along with that speed, his skill as both a coverage safety and a run defender will give the Jets a flexible safety who will help strengthen a secondary led by Sauce Gardner. With good size at 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, Emmanwori brings flexibility at safety and can be utilized as a man-to-man coverage guy against bigger receivers and tight ends.
. player. TE | Michigan State. Jack Velling. 30. . . 95. Jack Velling. Jack Velling
With the addition of Adams, the Jets have a strong receiver group to work with going into 2025. They may still draft a wide receiver later in the draft but address the tight end position with the selection of Michigan State’s Jack Velling.
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One of the top tight end prospects in the draft, Velling is a 6-foot-5, 244-pound target who has the ability and capability of catching the ball in traffic. He also is good at working the seams and would be a tremendous red zone target for either Rodgers, Ward or whoever is playing QB for the Jets in 2025.