New York Jets Trade Down in Seven-Round Mock Draft
By Nolan Rich
![Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Darron Lee (Ohio State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the New York Jets as the number twenty overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Darron Lee (Ohio State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the New York Jets as the number twenty overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/e4bfb1ecb3a937875750e83a8376b54e0e5092f85af2c730673d302ed7fc44f1.jpg)
North Carolina State. Josh Jones. 3. player. 30. . Safety
It’s clear that the Jets haven’t been thrilled with the performance of former first round pick Calvin Pryor. The secondary is one of the team’s biggest projects and they could look to address the back-end with Josh Jones.
Jones is a rare combination of a safety that can play in the box and tackle but also has the speed and ball skills in passing coverage. The biggest area of concern is his aggressiveness which will lead him to bite on play-action or sometimes overrun a play.
A solid prospect at the safety position, Jones could be a day one starter for New York and has the ability to not only help improve the team’s pass coverage, but also be a solid contributor in the run game.
3. player. 30. . Cornerback. San Diego State. Damontae Kazee
With their compensatory pick the Jets could add a corner as another piece to the reconstruction of their secondary.
Kazee has a nose for the ball with 15 interceptions over his past two collegiate seasons and was named the Mountain West defensive player for two consecutive seasons. An aggressive corner who tries to make a play on the ball, Kazee also isn’t afraid to come up in run support to make tackles.
While Kazee’s size at 5’10 and speed at the combine where he ran a 4.54 forty have hurt his high-end draft stock. However, his ability to play the run and make plays would make him a welcomed addition to the Jets secondary and he could compete for one of the starting jobs by the end of camp.