2018 NFL Mock Draft: New York Jets 3-round mock
By Sean Dyer
OLB. player. 30. Harold Landry. 2. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Boston College
With their first of two second-round picks (No. 37 overall), the New York Jets add an edge rusher to line up opposite of Jordan Jenkins.
Harold Landry was a presumed top-10 pick coming into the 2017 season but injuries limited him to just eight games as a senior and have bumped him down a bit. CBS Sports ranks Landry 103rd overall which is way too low but the Boston College pass rusher could still be around for the 37th pick.
Leonard Williams leads a strong defensive line, Demario Davis (assuming he’s re-signed) commands the middle, and Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye look to have the two safety positions locked down for the next decade. The Jets defense needs help at cornerback (which we will get to) and with pass rushers on the edge.
When healthy, there’s no better pass rusher in college football than Harold Landry.
As a sophomore, Landry only had 3.5 sacks but had 16.0 tackles for loss. As a junior, Landry led the nation with 16.5 sacks and had 22.0 tackles for loss. Landry only played eight games as a senior but still put up 5.0 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
WalterFootball.com is a big fan of Landry’s pass rushing ability:
"Landry is a speed demon off the edge and is a skilled quarterback hunter. Not only does he produce sacks, he creates steady pressure to force quarterbacks off their drop and disrupt plays. There is no doubt that Landry is very fast off the edge with a quick first-step and can close in an instant. He is a pure speed defender who constantly explodes into the backfield in the pass rush and in run defense. Going against tackles, Landry uses his speed to get upfield with an impressive ability to bend and dip underneath blockers to get by them. Landry has the athleticism to redirect and is not a stiff defender."
Landry could use this weekend’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine to secure first-round status but as things stand right now, it’s not out of the question for him to be available at the top of the second round.
Having a dominant edge rusher can take an NFL defense from good to great and Harold Landry could do wonders for Gang Green.
If Landry goes off the board in the first round, alternative edge rushers for the Jets could be UTSA’s Marcus Davenport, Oklahoma’s Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, and Ohio State’s Sam Hubbard.