New York Jets seven round no trade mock draft, fills big holes

Round one, 11th overall

With the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select Jerry Jeudy, wide receiver, University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

The picks leading up to the Jets at 11, went pretty much as expected. The top three quarterbacks, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert all went in the first six picks. Three of the four best offensive tackles were gone after Cleveland made the 10th pick.

I could have gone with tackle Jedrick Wills or my choice of game-breaking wideouts CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III, or Jeudy. As important as it is to protect quarterback Sam Darnold, I think a) Douglas has done a good job of building an offensive line this spring, and b) Darnold would thrive with a potent weapon to throw to who can bail him out when necessary.

I took Jeudy (yes, I did several sims with Wills as the pick, but overall this one came out better) because he is the best offensive, non-quarterback, player in this draft. I’m going to go as far as saying Jerry Jeudy is a special player of the quality not seen on Gang Green in many years. He’s that good. We have written about Jeudy quite extensively, so here is the Cliff Notes version.

Described as quarterback’s best friend, he is a fantastic route runner who also happens to be an exceptional athlete. His 6-1, 200-pound frame is ideal for an NFL receiver. Because of his athleticism, Jeudy can cut on a dime and leave nine cents of change. Additionally, he can climb for 50/50 balls and is strong enough to pull them away from defensive backs. Two other attributes that are part of his repertoire are a big catch radius and the ability to create separation.

"“Jeudy is a special talent, a true No. 1 receiver the minute he gets drafted… I said in May that he is the most talented receiver to enter the NFL since the duo of Julio Jones and A.J. Green went in Round 1 in 2011. The Biletnikoff Award winner can run every route and has elite ball skills, and he blazed by SEC defensive backs every week.” – Mel Kiper, ESPN"

Even though Jeudy is the complete package, there are a few areas of concern. Every now and then he is prone to drops. Also, because he is so fast and cuts so well, Jeudy didn’t face the kind of press coverage he will see at the NFL level. That is a question mark in the mind’s of some scouts.