2021 NFL draft: Jets add surprise wide receiver in new NFL Network mock
Peter Schrager is out with his first mock draft less than a month before the real thing.
The Good Morning Football host and NFL Network personality has the Jets going the expected route at No. 2, but they take the road less traveled with a surprise selection at No. 23.
Schrager pairs the Jets with BYU QB Zach Wilson to start things off, something that seems to be more than a foregone conclusion at this point.
Here’s his explanation for the selection:
In the end, I think Wilson will be the guy. His 2020 campaign numbers were eye-popping, but it’s his toughness and fearlessness over the course of his entire college career that really impresses folks around the league.
The Jets have already moved on from Sam Darnold and Joe Douglas didn’t deny Steve Young’s comments that New York has “committed” to Wilson and his family. Douglas didn’t have much of a rebuttal, adding that the legendary quarterback is “pretty tapped in” to the BYU football program.
The only box likely left to check is Wilson’s medicals, but the Jets aren’t concerned with Wilson’s shoulder injury history, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
As for New York’s second first-round pick, Schrager has them rolling the dice on Purdue wideout Rondale Moore.
Here’s his explanation for the pick:
Moore is a beast and a nightmare to tackle after the catch. He’s neither a burner nor a huge physical specimen, but he fits everything the Jets are looking to be. Think Deebo Samuel, with his ability to carry the ball, catch the ball and generally be a DC’s headache week in and week out.
While Moore is only 5-foot-7, his testing has been off the charts. Moore ran a 4.29 40-yard dash and had a 42.5-inch vertical at his pro day. The Purdue product has exceptional traits and is an explosive playmaker even though he’s an undersized slot receiver.
Where Moore may draw criticism beyond his size is his ability to stay on the field. He hasn’t played a full season in two years. He did, however, haul in 114 receptions for 1,258 yards with 12 touchdowns in 2018.
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