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The Jets are on the clock again Saturday afternoon as the final rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft begin. Here’s a full account of all the latest buzz surrounding Gang Green and a play-by-play of their picks…
April 25, 5:10 p.m.:
With the Jets about to go on the clock, Gang Green traded the 211th overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts. Per SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, the Jets acquired CB Quincy Wilson in exchange.
Wilson, 23, was the Colts’ second-round pick in 2017 out of Florida. Interestingly enough, Wilson was the first of two corners the Colts drafted that year, with the other being Nate Hairston, who is now once again Wilson’s teammate on the Jets.
In three seasons, Wilson has started just 10 total games, and didn’t start any of the nine games he played in in 2019. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound corner has two career interceptions.
From Ralph Vacchiano:
There was probably no one Douglas was going to draft in the sixth round, 211th overall, that would’ve been as promising as CB Quincy Wilson, the player he got from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for that pick. Wilson was the Colts’ second-round pick in 2017, so the talent is obviously there. He had injury issues as a rookie and he struggled last year when the Colts switched to a zone defense. But here’s the key: He’s still only 23 years old. The 6-2, 210 pounder has good size and lots of potential and plays a position where the Jets need help.
There was no cornerback available in the sixth round with more promise than that.
So in his first draft as GM of the Jets, Douglas made three trades. He traded down 11 spots in the second round and still was able to get WR Denzel Mims, the player he wanted all along. Then he used the extra third-rounder he got in that deal and sent it to the Patriots for three more picks. And then he flipped a sixth-rounder for a 23-year-old cornerback with 10 NFL starts under his belt.
That’s a heck of a job by Trader Joe.
April 25, 4:15 p.m.:
Sixth round, pick No. 191 overall:
The Jets selected Texas A&M punter Braden Mann.
Thoughts on Mann from SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano …
If you’re going to use a draft pick on a punter, it may as well be one like Mann, who was not only the best punter in this class but probably the one with the strongest leg. He doesn’t just boom them down the field, either. He’s got great touch and is a good directional kicker. He can drop his kicks inside the 20s with the best of them. And as a bonus, he could be a kickoff specialist, too. The Jets weren’t bringing Lachlan Edwards back, so they had to get someone. And they got a punter who could be a field-tilting weapon. Douglas clearly understands the value of special teams.
April 25, 2:44 p.m.:
Fifth round, pick No. 158 overall:
The Jets selected CB Bryce Hall from Virginia, who had been one of SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano’s players to watch for Gang Green on Day 3, with Vacchiano noting that some people believe Hall could be better off at safety.
Hall, who some had projected as a second or even first-round pick before last season, saw his stock fall after a brutal injury.
Thoughts on Hall from SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano…
Hall lost six games in his senior year to a broken ankle, which may work out to be a blessing for the Jets. Because some scouts think if he had stayed healthy he could have been a second-rounder, if not more. The 6-1, 202-pounder looks like a future starter on the outside. He’s got great instincts, intelligence and all the physical skills a corner needs.
He was a three-year starter for the Cavaliers and could compete for a starting job with the Jets pretty quickly. The only question about him is his health. But the Jets were obviously satisfied that his recovery from ankle surgery is going well.
April 25, 1:19 p.m.:
Fourth round, pick No. 129 overall:
The Jets selected OL Cameron Clark from UNC-Charlotte.
Per Pro Football Focus, Clark took 843 snaps at left tackle in 2019 while putting up a 78.3 pass block grade.
Thoughts on Clark from SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano…
Do you believe Joe Douglas now when he says he’s serious about building his team from the trenches — especially on the offensive side? After spending most of his free agent money on the line, and drafting a tackle in Round 1, he did it again in the fourth round with this 6-4, 308-pounder who could play tackle or guard.
That flexibility surely was a key for Douglas, who is now looking for young linemen to develop and add versatile depth. Clark was mostly a left tackle in college, but he’s got the size and power to succeed on the inside. Really, the Jets could do anything with him since they’re pretty set with their starters at the moment. He could end up an emergency fill-in anywhere along the offensive line.
April 25, 1:06 p.m.:
Fourth round, pick No. 125 overall:
The Jets selected QB James Morgan from FIU.
Thoughts on Morgan from SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano…
A quarterback? Yes, a quarterback. But don’t worry, this has nothing to do with Sam Darnold, who is and will remain the Jets’ franchise.
This is about having a young quarterback to develop on the roster, which many teams love to have. Jets GM Joe Douglas surely learned that from his days with the Philadelphia Eagles, who always seemed to have several young quarterbacks on the team. They could be future backups or they could be future trade chips. Also, as the Eagles know well, you never know when you’ll need one.
The 6-4, 229-pound Morgan is definitely a developmental player. He’ll need some time to work on his accuracy. But the intangibles are there, including a strong arm, his tough nature, and his leadership ability which scouts say is off-the-charts good. He’s more likely to stay in the pocket and take a pounding than move out like Darnold, but he’s got the athletic ability to work on that a bit.
There’s a lot to work with there, though, especially for a player the Jets hope they won’t need in 2020 — or really any time soon.
Video: Jets take FIU’s James Morgan with 125th pick
April 25, 12:48 p.m.:
Fourth round, pick No. 120 overall:
The Jets selected RB La’Mical Perine out of Florida — a 22-year-old who did not lose any fumbles this past season.
Per Pro Football Focus, Perine averaged 3.73 yards after contact in 2019.
Thoughts on Perine from SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano…
The Jets were going to take a running back at some point for a couple of reasons. One is that they don’t have great depth at the position, and they need someone to backup Le’Veon Bell. And the other is that it’s pretty clear Bell might not have a long-term future with the Jets, which means they have to start planning for their post-Bell backfield now.
That will likely be a backfield by committee, and this 5-11, 216-pounder could certainly fit into that. He wasn’t very productive in college, which was at least partially due to opportunity. But he was a two-way threat who could catch passes out of the backfield. He could be a third-down back if he improves his blocking.
Most importantly for the Jets, though, is there seems to be some upside given his size and tools. They are hoping that by next season he develops into something more than he’s been so far.
Video: Jets add explosive RB La’Mical Perine in Rd. 4
April 25, 11:32 a.m.:
The Jets have six picks on Saturday, entering the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Gang Green has three picks in the fourth round (120th, 125th, and 129th), and one each in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds (158th, 191st, 211th).
Here are 10 players to keep an eye on for the Jets on Saturday.
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