2018 NFL Mock Draft: New York Jets 3-round mock 3.0
By Sean Dyer
Scouting Report. EDGE. 30. player. Pick Analysis. Georgia. Lorenzo Carter. 3
The New York Jets finished 28th in the NFL in sacks last season with just 28 quarterback takedowns. Blame gets put on the defensive line, but in Gang Green’s 3-4 scheme, it’s the outside linebackers/edge rushers who need to step up.
Here’s the 2017 production from Jets edge rushers:
- David Bass – 13 games (two starts), 26 tackles, 3.5 sacks
- Jordan Jenkins – 16 games (15 starts), 49 tackles, 3.0 sacks
- Josh Martin – 14 games (nine starts), 43 tackles, 1.5 sacks
- Dylan Donahue – limited to four games with elbow injury, zero sacks
- Lorenzo Mauldin – missed season with back injury, 6.5 sacks in two seasons
To call that production may be too generous.
Donahue and Mauldin were both injured for most of, if not all of the season. However, Mauldin didn’t do much in his first two NFL seasons and Donahue can’t be relied on as a key pass rusher considering he’s never generated an NFL sack.
The Jets best edge rusher in terms of sacks, David Bass, is also a free agent. They shouldn’t have a problem bringing him back, but your leading sacker on the edge cannot have just 3.5 sacks.
More from New York Jets
- Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
- New York Jets: It’s Time to Move on from Sam Darnold
- How Adam Gase and Joe Judge Can Succeed in 2020
- New York Jets Still have Elite Talent in Running Back Le’Veon Bell
- New York Jets: C.J. Mosley Opts Out of 2020 NFL Season
Enter Lorenzo Carter.
Carter didn’t put up huge sack numbers at Georgia (14.0 sacks in 48 career games), but he has the potential to be a productive pass rusher at the next level if coached up. He also added 21.5 career tackles for loss.
Carter is a freak athlete with plenty of speed. He can bend the edge and get to the passer, which is coveted in today’s NFL. He’s also a very good run defender and is athletic enough to excel in coverage.
Tyler Donaldson of NFL Mocks sees the mass potential for Carter as an NFL edge rusher:
"Carter’s athleticism more often than not created mismatches for him on the edge. Relying on that athleticism, Carter won a lot with his speed and flexibility to bend the corner allowed him to pressure the quarterback regularly and force a lot of mistakes. … Take that speed and combine it with a long athletic body and Carter’s potential as an edge-rusher is through the roof."
Lorenzo Carter was a 5-star recruit out of high school because of his athleticism and immense potential as a pass rusher. He has the tools to succeed at the next level and just needs the right coach to unlock them.
If that coach is on the Jets staff and Gang Green takes a chance on Carter in the third round, he could end up starting in year one and become a draft day steal for New York.
Next: New York Jets 3-round mock draft 3.0
Another 2018 NFL mock draft complete! What did we think?
As I said, I will switch things up as the offseason progresses. I’ll use different strategies and see how many different three-round combinations I can come up with.
Be on the lookout for my next installment of a New York Jets NFL mock draft! But until then, let me know what you thought of this one in the comments below!