After a 5-12 season, the New York Jets decided to make major changes. Aaron Glenn is now the head coach. Aaron Rodgers is out, and Justin Fields is in. The team that finished 24th in points per game (19.9) and 20th in points per game allowed (23.8) is looking to quickly turn around and make a playoff run.
The Jets have eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. They will use those to address holes on both sides of the ball. This mock draft will not have any trades. This is not about predicting what will happen, but advising what the team should do with each pick.
The Jets finished 2024 ranked 29th in passing yards allowed (3,275) and 15th in rushing yards allowed (2,059). They need help inside and outside on the defensive line, and luck for them, Michigan elite defensive lineman Mason Graham falls to seventh overall in this mock.
Graham is 6’3 and 320 pounds, and is a pure menace. He recorded a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 91.1 last season (81.1 versus the run and 92.6 versus the pass). He had five sacks and 20 hurries on 338 pass snaps in 2024. He would wreak havoc next to Quinnen Williams.
Sticking with the defense, the Jets need help in their secondary. Sauce Gardner is elite, but he had a rough year in 2024, posting a PFF grade of 70.2 (47th among corners in the league). Brandon Stephens posted a below-average 55.8 (153rd in the NFL). With the 42nd overall pick, they get size and speed from Kentucky.
Maxwell Hairston comes with red flags and controversy, but the fact remains, someone is going to pick him. He is 6’1 and 186 pounds, and ran a 4.28 forty at the Combine. That speed shows up on film, as he seems to always be around the ball. He only allowed 12 catches in 2024, in 142 coverage snaps.
Garrett Wilson is a stud receiver, but Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard are old dogs who are fresh out of tricks. The Jets need to get better targets for Fields to throw to, and in round three of the 2025 NFL Draft, they grab Tre Harris out of Ole Miss.
Harris is long (6’3 and 210 pounds) and can jump (38.5″ vertical). He would be an excellent target for the Jets’ young quarterback and has shown good production at the college level. He had an 89.7 PFF grade in 2024, thanks to hauling in 60 receptions for 1,030 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Neither Jeremy Ruckert, nor Stone Smartt did anything last season to register a score on PFF. Fields is gonna need more than just receivers split wide to throw to, he’s going to need a big-bodied tight end.
Gunnar Helm, out of Texas, is 6’5 and 250 pounds. He had 60 receptions in 2024, for 786 yards (13.1 yards per catch) and 7 touchdowns. He had a 72.4 receiving grade from PFF and a 43.5 run blocking grade. He may not help with blocking, but he will catch passes.
The Jets’ current starting linebackers consist of Jamien Sherwood (73.8 PFF grade) and Zaire Barnes (No Grade). They can use some aggressive speed and tackling in the middle if the front seven.
Kobe King from Penn State is just that. He’s 6’1 and 236 pounds, and runs a 4.63 forty. He had an 83.6 PFF grade in 2024. He had 97 total tackles in 2024, nine for a loss, and 3 sacks.
The Jets’ first-round pick in 2024, Olu Fashanu has solidified himself as the team’s left tackle of the future. Carter Warren, on the right side, has done nothing of the sort. He posted a 44.6 PFF grade last season (129th out of 141 eligible tackles last season). In round five, at pick 162, the Jets get their right tackle of the future.
Logan Brown out of Kansas is a mean and violent player (not just pass blocker). He’s 6’6 and 315 pounds. He registered a PFF grade of 82.5 (82.2 as a run blocker and 78.0 as a pass blocker). All but one of his 610 snaps last season came on the right side of the line.
Running back may not seem like a position of need for the Jets, but it is. Breece Hall may only be 23 years old, but he’s already played three seasons in the NFL and dealt with a major injury. 2025 will be the last year on his rookie deal, and it’s doubtful the team will extend or franchise tag him.
At pick 186, New York gets Hall’s replacement, with Oregon tailback Jordan James. He is built solid (5’10 and 210 pounds), and had a PFF grade of 86.2. He had 233 carries last year for 1,268 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added 26 receptions for 207 yards. He is a Breece Hall prototype, without the damage or mileage.
Andre Cisco and Tony Adams aren’t exactly prizes at the safety position. With their final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jets select Dean Clark out of Fresno State. He is 6’1 and 206 pounds, and posted a PFF grade of 71.4 last season (75.8 versus the run and 69.6 against the pass). He had nearly 70 tackles, and will start off on special teams, but could end up in the starting lineup.
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