2018 NFL Mock Draft: New York Jets 3-round mock 5.0
By Sean Dyer
Standford. Quenton Meeks. 3. player. 30. Scouting Report. CB. Pick Analysis
We’ve talked before about how the New York Jets are set at safety after drafting Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye in the first two rounds last year but they need to address the cornerback position.
After signing Kirk Cousins to a megadeal and releasing Muhammad Wilkerson, Gang Green will still have money to spend on the free agent market. They could look to sign a pass rusher, but after the Dallas Cowboys franchise tag Demarcus Lawrence, Ezekiel Ansah will be the only top-tier pass rusher left and he likely won’t be worth the money he ends up getting after a bidding war breaks out.
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That leaves money for the Jets to spend on a cornerback. Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler, Kyle Fuller, E.J. Gaines, Bashaud Breeland, and Patrick Robinson are all very intriguing options. New York could also choose to re-sign Morris Claiborne. If the Jets can ink at least one of these corners to a deal, they can wait to address the position until the third round of the draft.
Just because they wait until the third round doesn’t mean they don’t come away with a solid prospect. This year’s cornerback class is deep and the Jets are able to take advantage here.
Quenton Meeks has great size (6’2, 204 lb.) and long arms. He uses his size to get his hands on the football and make tackles in the running game and after the catch.
A three-year starter, Meeks is an experienced corner with sound technique. He has good balance and awareness which allow him to stick with his man in coverage and break up passes.
Meeks could improve in getting his head turned around to find the ball in man coverage but he displayed decent ball skills and had seven interceptions in his college career.
Jon Dove of With the First Pick sees Meeks as an early-round pick who will be effective at the next level:
"Overall, this is a cornerback who has the potential to be a very effective NFL player. His combination of size, length and feel for the position are what makes him a strong prospect."
If the New York Jets add one of the top free agent cornerbacks and Quenton Meeks to Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye, Buster Skrine, and Juston Burris, they’ll have a very good secondary for the foreseeable future.
Next: New York Jets 3-round mock draft 4.0
This concludes another three-round New York Jets NFL mock draft with a trade involved! What did we think? Don’t forget the Jets signed Kirk Cousins and added an extra first-round pick in 2019 in this scenario!
I will continue to switch things up as the offseason progresses. I’ll use different strategies, come up with more trade possibilities, 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 next week! But until then, let me know what you thought of this one in the comments below!