2023 NFL draft: Way-too-early ESPN mock sends Jets top pass rusher
ESPN released a way-too-early 2023 NFL mock draft.
There is good and bad news.
Getting the tough look out of the way, the former world-wide leader used their Football Power Index to create the upcoming draft’s order. That ranking gave the New York Jets the No. 1 overall pick.
Ouch. But at least that means little to nothing, New York can go on to prove them wrong.
Despite that, the Jets do land a very intriguing prospect in the mock: Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr.
New York head coach Robert Saleh is big on rotating his defensive front. The likes of Carl Lawson and Jermaine Johnson have been added in recent memory, via free agency and this past year’s draft, respectively.
The more the merrier, it appears.
Here’s the breakdown on the potential selection by the Jets:
Anderson is the unquestioned top player on my Big Board for next season. At 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, he has shades of Von Miller to his game. He’s not supersized like Joey or Nick Bosa or Chase Young in terms of his frame, but his quickness and power getting to the quarterback netted 17.5 sacks and 101 tackles last season.
Why not a quarterback for the Jets if they’re drafting No. 1 overall? Some teams might give up on quarterbacks early, but the Jets’ front office, led by general manager Joe Douglas, isn’t the type to panic. We’ve an seen example of this as the franchise has stood by left tackle Mekhi Becton after early struggles. Barring a complete unraveling by Zach Wilson — the No. 2 pick in 2021 who showed promise down the stretch last season — it’s unlikely the Jets would start over at quarterback.
