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He has the Jets picking a position that might surprise some, but you could make an argument it’s perhaps their biggest need.
In his latest mock draft, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout, has the Jets picking Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson with their first-round pick (11th overall).
But it should be pointed out that Jeremiah has a bunch of top offensive linemen off-the-board when the Jets select. Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton, Jedrick Wills and Andrew Thomas are all selected before the Jets are up in Jeremiah’s latest mock.
Cornerback is a huge need for the Jets. They desperately need a #1 cornerback. It’s right up there with offensive line and edge-rusher when it comes to their biggest needs. The NFL has turned into a pass-happy league, and the Jets’ cornerback play has not been up to snuff in recent years.
A couple of days ago we talked about Jamal Adams saying the team needs to look at edge-rushers in free agency like Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler because, “That’s a safety’s best friend.” He’s talking about a good pass rush.
You know what is also a safeties best friend? Lockdown corners on the outside. But you know darn well that Adams wasn’t going there. He’s in that DB room with a lot of corners, many his close friends.
Now we mentioned the other day it might not be ideal for Adams to talk about the need to for pass rushers, because there are a bunch of defensive ends in the building currently employed by the team. So by Adams saying this, he’s implying that the current group isn’t good enough. Perhaps that is true, but maybe it’s best for Joe Douglas to determine that, so there are no hurt feelings in the locker room, with his assessment coming from a teammate.
But I digress.
You could make a strong argument that cornerback is as big a need as any. They might need two new starters in 2020. Darryl Roberts is best used as a fourth/fifth corner and core special team’s player. He needs to improve his coverage instincts and be less of a see-and-go reactor.
Trumaine Johnson is likely going to be a cap casualty. The former regime giving him a five-year deal for $72 million with $45 million guaranteed has to go down as one of the worst contracts, not just in Jets history, but NFL history.
Look, he’s not a bad player, but the problem is doesn’t have the recovery speed to keep up with fast receivers. That’s a big problem. This is a player who ran 4.61 when he came into the league, what do you think he runs now after all the wear-and-tear of a long NFL career?
So the Jets probably need two new starters. Last time I checked you start two corners on the outside. Doesn’t that constitute a big need?
That makes picking Henderson at 11 a possibility.
And remember, Jeremiah is close friends with Douglas.
I’m not saying that Joe D told him who he wants to pick, but these two talk a lot, so Jeremiah has a strong feeling what his former Baltimore Raven colleague is thinking.
March 4, 2020
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