In Mel Kiper’s latest mock, the ESPN draft analyst has the Jets taking a potential No. 1 wide receiver for Sam Darnold.
By picking Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, Kiper has the Jets spurning the need of an offensive tackle and opting to get their young quarterback an outside weapon with the 11th pick. This comes after Alabama’s Jedrick Willis Jr., Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton are already off the board. So, in this scenario, Joe Douglas takes Lamb over Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.
Instead of taking a plug-and-play tackle, Kiper opts for the wideout. Here’s his explanation for the pick:
Can Sam Darnold get some help, please? With Robby Anderson potentially departing in free agency and Quincy Enunwa’s future up in the air, Darnold’s top receivers are Jamison Crowder and … Le’Veon Bell? That’s not an ideal situation for a third-year quarterback who stagnated in Year 2. Lamb can be the Jets’ top wideout — he is stellar after the catch and can run every route in the tree. Jets quarterbacks averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt last season (27th in the NFL), but that would rise with Lamb on the field. This team is likely to see massive turnover along the offensive line this offseason, so it could target a tackle here, too, depending on what happens in free agency.
Yes, the Jets have needed a No. 1 wide receiver since Brandon Marshall’s 2015 season, but the team still needs help in the trenches. This selection becomes more plausible if Douglas can find his tackle in free agency.
Lamb projects as a top-shelf prospect that can make an immediate impact from Day 1. His ball skills and explosiveness with the ball in his hands should allow Adam Gase to have a true No. 1, especially if Robby Anderson leaves New York. Not that Anderson ever was one to begin with.
Lamb played in a fast-pace offense at Oklahoma that allowed him to light the college football world on fire. In 2019, Lamb was named a first-team Associated Press All-American and a Biletnikoff Award finalist and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. In 13 starts, he led the Sooners with 62 receptions for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns.