Report: Jedrick Wills Jr. to Giants building steam

Buzz is building in league circles that the New York Giants may target Alabama OT Jedrick Wills Jr. in Round 1 of the NFL Draft.

It’s no secret the New York Giants are in the market for an offensive tackle and have held virtual meetings with all four of the top prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, which of the four linemen they favor has been up for debate.

Some suggest the Giants are leaning towards Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, while others believe Georgia’s Andrew Thomas may be their target.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN has a different take entirely, reporting on Wednesday that “buzz” is building in league circles that the Giants may be targeting Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr.

This is where the Saban-Joe Judge connection comes into play. The Giants already have former Alabama running backs coach Burton Burns on staff. He has seen what Wills can do and would likely provide another stamp of approval. Wills would be an ideal fit in an offense expected to be more run-heavy than most. No wonder the buzz on Wills to the Giants has been building in league circles. He would start on the right side and, depending on how things shake out over the next few seasons, potentially move to the left. Wills seems to be the most likely match for the Giants — low risk, dependable and powerful.

Raanan also downplayed the aforementioned interest in Thomas, suggesting he may be on the outside looking in.

There hasn’t been much buzz connecting Thomas to the Giants, aside from some FaceTime sessions with the team.

Of course, when push comes to shove, the Giants may not end up with any of the top four offensive tackles. Depending on how things shake out in Round 1, they could end up with Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young or Clemson linebacker Isaiah Thomas. There is also some building speculation that they may target Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

Luckily, we’re less than two weeks away from the draft and we’ll all know for certain who the next Giant is in relatively short order.

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Jets’ 2020 pre-draft visits shed light on New York’s potential plans

The Jets visited with a lot of offensive linemen, cornerbacks, wide receivers and edge rushers before the 2020 NFL draft.

NFL draft speculation continues to ramp up with a little over a week before the first round begins. Joe Douglas will have an opportunity to rebuild and reshape the Jets in his image during his first draft as the general manager, starting with the 11th overall pick.

Nothing is certain until the Jets submit their picks, but a brief evaluation of the Jets’ prospect visits so far, via WalterFootball.com, shed a little bit of light on what Douglas is thinking with his eight picks.

A lot of private workouts were scheduled and subsequently canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, so this data is likely incomplete. A visit or lack of visit also doesn’t necessarily mean the Jets will or won’t take a player, but it will at least provide a pattern that gives us a glimpse into the positions Douglas and the Jets covet.

A brief analysis also shows where the Jets could target certain positions depending on the players they spoke to and visited with throughout the offseason. Unsurprisingly, the top three positions the Jets targeted were offensive line, cornerback and wide receiver.

The Jets spoke with 13 linemen, including the top five tackles and the best center. Tackles Jedrick Wills Jr., Tristan Wirfs, Mehki Becton, Andrew Thomas and Josh Jones could all go in the first round and Michigan center Cesar Ruiz is pegged as a first- or second-rounder as well. Douglas already said he believes in acquiring as many quality offensive linemen as possible and his heavy emphasis on meeting with the best prospects only strengthens the idea that he and the Jets will target linemen early in the draft.

Douglas and the Jets also visited with seven cornerbacks, most of whom had first-, second- or third-round grades. If tackle is the target at No. 11, the Jets could look at cornerback with the 48th, 68th and/or 79th picks. Trevon Diggs and Jeff Gladney are late-first or early second-round picks, Kristian Fulton is likely a second- or third-rounder and Amik Robinson and Cameron Dantzler are both third-round talents. It wouldn’t be shocking to see one of those six players on the Jets roster this fall.

Wide receivers saw the third-most visits from the Jets with five, but only two have first- or second-round grades – Jerry Jeudy and Denzel Mims. There have been reports the Jets are interested in Henry Ruggs III and CeeDee Lamb also said he met with the Jets virtually on Instagram Live on April 10, so it’s impossible to ascertain exactly which receivers the Jets are targeting. But the rest of the receivers all have mid- to late-draft grades, indicating New york may not be looking at receivers as early as many think. Notable omissions from this list included Michael Pittman Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., Van Jefferson and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Pass rusher is probably the fourth-most important position of need for the Jets, but they only met with five, according to the list. K’Lavon Chaisson and Julian Okwara are the most notable players on the list, while the rest have late-round grades. Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison is an interesting name to watch. He racked up 11 sacks as a two-year starter at N.C. State. The Jets met with him twice – at the Senior Bowl and virtually – and he has a fourth-round grade.

The Jets only met with one quarterback – FIU’s James Morgan, one tight end – Western Michigan’s Giovanni Ricci – and two running backs – James Robinson and Dre Brown. This isn’t surprising, as the Jets don’t have a real need at any of these three positions. All except Robinson look like late-round targets.

The draft board is finicky and trading up or down is always on the table as well, so Douglas could easily have some tricks up his sleeve or covet players he didn’t even visit with. No one will know what the Jets will do until the draft begins on April 23, but this list at least gives some hints.

2020 NFL Draft: Jets take Jedrick Wills Jr., Chase Claypool in new Mel Kiper mock

Mel Kiper has the Jets picking Jedrick Wills Jr. and Chase Claypool in his latest mock draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is less than 10 days away and Mel Kiper has released his latest two-round mock draft.

Kiper is staying very consistent with his selections, at least for the Jets. In Kiper’s third mock draft, he had the Jets taking Alabama OT Jedrick Wills Jr. with the 11th pick. That pick doesn’t change in his fourth mock.

Here’s Kiper’s explanation for the pick:

I thought about CeeDee Lamb here, but ultimately this class is much deeper with wide receivers than it is with offensive tackles. And if the Jets can get a starting tackle with Wills and address the receiver position in Round 2 (No. 48), that’s better than the inverse. They could get two immediate starters in the top 50 picks. According to my friends at ESPN Stats & Info, the Crimson Tide averaged 7.7 yards per rush outside the right tackle in 2019, which ranked third in the FBS. Wills would help get Le’Veon Bell going.

Kiper nailed it right on the head with his rationale for taking Wills Jr. This year’s wide receiver class is so loaded that the Jets can get a potential No. 1 wideout in the second round. That’s better than the Jets taking the best wide receiver in the draft in the first round and then snagging the sixth-best offensive lineman in the second round.

As for Wills Jr., he is possibly the most polished offensive lineman in this year’s draft. The numbers Kiper provides speak for themselves. He will be a day one starter and make an instant impact in both the running game and in pass protection.

Moving onto the second round, Kiper has the Jets picking Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool with the 48th pick.

Here’s his reasoning for this pick:

Robby Anderson is gone, and Breshad Perriman and Jamison Crowder sit atop the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart. Let’s give Sam Darnold more weapons so Adam Gase can fully evaluate the third-year quarterback. The 6-foot-4, 238- pound Claypool lit up the combine with a 4.42 40 and 40.5-inch vertical, and he has a high ceiling if he can get in the right situation. He’d get early reps in New York.

If the Jets are going to take an offensive tackle in the first round, then they have to wide receiver in the second round. However, Claypool might not be the right guy. He’s an athletic freak at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds while also running a 4.42 second 40-yard dash at the combine. However, he’s not the greatest route runner and does come with some injury concerns.

Kiper got the position right, but the Jets may want to think about a different name for their second pick.

Which top offensive tackle has best chance of being drafted by Jets?

According to ESPN’s draft predictor, Andrew Thomas has the highest percent chance of being available for the Jets with the 11th pick.

There’s a good chance the Jets will draft an offensive tackle with the 11th pick in just over a week. But which lineman has the best odds of going to New York?

According to ESPN’s draft predictor, Andrew Thomas has the highest chance of being available to the Jets at 53 percent. He’s followed by Jedrick Wills Jr. at 43 percent, Mekhi Becton at 25 percent and Tristan Wirfs at 6 percent.

This seems to be in accordance with most mock drafts, as many pundits believe that three offensive linemen will go before the 11th pick. There’s a chance that all four are gone by the time the Jets are on the clock, in which case they would take a receiver.

Trades could change everything, but right now, the Cardinals, Jaguars, Browns and even the Giants could take an offensive tackle with their first pick. Teams like the Buccaneers and Dolphins could also leapfrog the Jets in an attempt to get one of the top four offensive tackles in this draft.

ESPN believes that the Jets will have a shot at Thomas or Wills if they stay put at 11. Of course, the percent chance they have at acquiring any of the four tackles increases if they elect to trade up.

If Joe Douglas doesn’t see a tackle he likes, one of the draft’s top-three receivers, if not all of them, should be available at No. 11. It could come down to whether or not Douglas would rather have the fourth-best tackle or whoever the Jets view to be the draft’s best receiver.

NFL.com names these two SEC stars as the ideal top picks for the Buccaneers

Chad Reuter and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com named these SEC offensive players as the ideal top two picks for the Bucs in the 2020 NFL draft.

The 2019 NFL draft saw the Buccaneers use the majority of their picks to address their defensive woes. Selecting linebacker Devin White with the fifth overall pick set the tempo for a draft in which they also picked up talented young cornerbacks in both Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean.

As the 2020 draft approaches, we may very well see Tampa Bay go in the opposite direction this year, prioritizing offense, especially now that they have Tom Brady as their quarterback. The offensive line is the major issue, namely along the right side. Several talented offensive linemen could go in round one, so it seems to be just a matter of which one lands with Tampa Bay at 14.

But, let’s not forget about the backfield. Running back Peyton Barber bolted for the nation’s capital in free agency, signing a two-year deal with the Redskins, leaving Ronald Jones as the primary back for Tampa Bay. While there are some free agent backs still out there, like LeSean McCoy, this year’s draft offers depth at the running back position, meaning the Bucs could snag a quality back after the first round.

In their latest piece over at NFL.com, draft experts Chad Reuter and Lance Zierlein selected the ideal top two picks for each team, and for the Buccaneers, it was Alabama OT Jedrick Wills in round one (No. 14) and LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in round two (No. 45).

Per NFL.com:

“Tom Brady needs to be protected. The Buccaneers have a glaring hole at right tackle. Wills’ athleticism, nasty streak and improvement during his redshirt sophomore season in 2019 make him a logical choice. I don’t care much about CEH’s 4.6 40 time at the Combine. He’s a stud back who is difficult to tackle and can make plays in the passing game. He deserves to be picked earlier than 45th, but we’ve seen numerous quality running backs slip into the mid-second round: Le’Veon Bell, Derrick Henry, LeSean McCoy, Ray Rice and Miles Sanders to name a few. It’s quite possible Edwards-Helaire, D’Andre Swift or Jonathan Taylor could be available for Tampa Bay.”

CEH had a monster season last year for the national champion LSU Tigers with 215 rushes for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns. Production like that would be welcomed with open arms in Tampa Bay. The Bucs may have their pick of the litter in round two when it comes to running backs. Swift, Taylor and even Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins could be in the mix.

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Jets Wire’s 2020 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: New York lands OT Jedrick Willis Jr.

Jets Wire’s Mock Draft 2.0 has New York landing Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. at No. 11.

With April underway and the draft just a little over three weeks away, we at Jets Wire have joined the mock draft craze.

The Jets find themselves in an interesting position with the 11th pick. At this point they seemed destined to take a tackle or a receiver. Regardless of which position general manager Joe Douglas chooses to go with, New York will have plenty of options to choose from.

This decision all depends on what happens between now and the draft, whether that means an acquisition of a wide receiver or someone like Redskins All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams. Without that, the Jets would be left with starting George Fant at left tackle. The draft will now be taking place virtually, rather than in Las Vegas, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let’s take a look at who we think the Jets and the other 31 teams could take in the first round in Jets Wire’s second mock draft.

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow | QB | LSU

This one is a no-brainer. The Bengals get their quarterback of the future with the No. 1 pick, officially bringing an end to the Andy Dalton era in Cincinnati.

2. Washington Redskins

Chase Young | DE | Ohio State

The Redskins benefit from Cincinnati’s need for a quarterback and land the best player in the draft at No. 2. With his freakish athleticism and propensity for sacking opposing quarterbacks, Young is the perfect player for first-year head coach Ron Rivera to build his defense around.

3. Detroit Lions

Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State

The temptation to take Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons at No. 3 is certainly there, but the Lions desperately need a cornerback after trading Darius Slay. Okudah is far and away the best corner in the draft, making this an easy pick for Detroit.

4. New York Giants

Isaiah Simmons | LB | Clemson

The Giants need a tackle to protect Daniel Jones, but it’s hard to see Dave Gettleman passing up on a rare talent like Simmons. New York signed a handful of linebackers this offseason, but Simmons’ ability to line up anywhere on the field makes him a valuable piece.

5. Miami Dolphins

Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon

All signs point toward Miami trending away from Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, making Herbert the logical selection for the quarterback-needy Dolphins.

6. Los Angeles Chargers

Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama

The Chargers miss out on Herbert, but land Tagovailoa, who has a much higher ceiling. As long as he can stay healthy, Tagovailoa has the potential to become a very good starting quarterback — even if he needs a year to sit and learn.

7. Carolina Panthers

Derrick Brown | DT | Auburn

The Panthers have a need on the interior and Brown is the best defensive tackle in this year’s draft. After selecting Brian Burns in the first round last year, Brown gives Carolina a solid foundation up front to build on moving forward.

8. Arizona Cardinals

Tristan Wirfs | OL | Iowa

The Cardinals got Kyler Murray a weapon by trading for DeAndre Hopkins. Now, it’s time to get him some protection by selecting the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft. Whether it be at tackle or guard, Wirfs is primed for an elite career at the next level.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

Javon Kinlaw | DL | South Carolina

Jacksonville gets itself a versatile interior defensive lineman to replace Calais Campbell.

10. Cleveland Browns

Mekhi Becton | OT | Louisville

Jedrick Wills Jr. would be the smart pick here, but the Browns have a history of swinging for the fences in the draft. Becton has the highest ceiling of any offensive tackle in this year’s draft with his massive 6-foot-7, 364-pound frame and freakish athleticism.

11. New York Jets

Jedrick Wills Jr. | OT | Alabama

The Jets get lucky at No. 11, as Wills Jr. is arguably the most refined offensive tackle prospect in this year’s draft.

12. Las Vegas Raiders

Henry Ruggs III | WR | Alabama

You could make a case for either of the top three wide receivers in this year’s draft class to go at No. 12, but Ruggs’ 4.27 40-yard dash speed and polished route running gives Las Vegas its own version of Tyreek Hill.

13. San Francisco 49ers (via IND)

Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama

Odell Beckham Jr. is believed to be an ideal fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme. With that in mind, it makes sense for San Francisco to go after the receiver that mirrors Beckham Jr.’s skillset the most.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia

Tampa Bay needs an offensive tackle to protect Tom Brady. This is an easy selection for the Buccaneers to keep their offseason trending in the right direction.

15. Denver Broncos

CeeDee Lamb | WR | Oklahoma

John Elway has provided Drew Lock with three dynamic weapons to work with in Cortland Sutton, Noah Fant and free agent signing Melvin Gordon. The addition of Lamb would give Denver’s second-year quarterback the electric deep threat he needs.

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Should Jets draft an offensive tackle or receiver at No. 11?

The Jets have serious needs at both positions, but they need a good offensive line more and can easily find a quality receiver later.

With the 11th overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Jets should select…

An offensive tackle. Not a wide receiver.

The Jets have serious needs at both positions, but the quality of the tackles in this class, the depth of the receivers and the history of past drafts should compel the Jets to grab the best offensive lineman when they’re on the clock.

There are five starting-caliber tackles who could be drafted in the top-20: Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs, Mehki Becton and Josh Jones. All would be massive improvements over the Jets’ presumed starters, George Fant and Chuma Edoga. There are obvious strengths and weaknesses to all five, but the potential of landing a top-class tackle to protect Sam Darnold and open up the offense is too good to pass up.

Jets GM Joe Douglas also hinted multiple times that he wants to load up on offensive linemen during his conference call last week. He told Darnold’s parents he would do everything in his power to surround the quarterback with the best protection and even mentioned that he believed there aren’t a lot of talented linemen in the NFL.

“We’re going to do our best to get as many quality ones as we can,” Douglas said, “because you can never have too many.”

Does that mean Douglas is absolutely using the 11th pick on a lineman? No. But the quality of tackles isn’t as great after those first five. The Jets would be better served to take the best possible offensive linemen at No. 11 to ensure the future of their franchise rather than gamble on a reciever in one of the deepest classes in the past few drafts. That, of course, is assuming one of those tackles is available.

There are 11 total receivers on Pro Football Focus’ big board. The Jets would likely have their pick of the top three – Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Henry Ruggs III – with the 11th pick. That’s an enticing trio to choose from, but there will be plenty of other good receivers in the later rounds when the Jets have the 48th, 68th and 79 picks. The Jets can easily wait for a second-tier name at No. 48 – someone like Brandon Aiyuk, Michael Pittman Jr. or Donovan Peoples-Jones – or even look to the third round for players like K.J. Hill, Chase Claypool or Gabriel Davis after taking the best tackle at No. 11.

The Jets’ decision could hinge on the health of Quincy Enunwa as well. If the Jets believe Enunwa will be ready to go for the 2020 season after suffering another neck injury, it makes more sense to wait on a receiver and take a less polished one later in the draft. A quartet of Breshad Perriman, Jamison Crowder, Enunwa and a rookie receiver would be a solid group for Darnold alongside Le’Veon Bell, Chris Herndon and young offensive tackle.

Taking one of either Jeudy, Lamb or Ruggs and praying for a good tackle to fall in the second round is setting the Jets up for failure if neither the receiver nor the tackle pans out. Without a good offensive line, it might not even matter if Jeudy, Lamb or Ruggs are the next Jerry Rice. If the Jets can’t find a good, young offensive lineman later in the draft, their entire offense will suffer as much as it did in 2019 and the development of Darnold and whichever receiver they drafted would be hindered significantly.

History also favors taking an offensive tackle over a reciever this early in the first round.

Since 2010, 11 receivers and 17 tackles were taken in the top-11 of the draft. Of those players, only four of the 11 receivers have been Pro Bowlers, compared with 11 of the 17 tackles. Could Jeudy, Lamb or Ruggs be the fifth in the past 10 years? Sure. But history is kinder to the linemen, and one team executed this strategy effectively to build a powerful offense.

The Cowboys drafted three offensive linemen with their first pick from 2011-2014 to build the best protection in football. That set the team up for success when it took Ezekiel Elliot fourth overall and Dak Prescott in the fourth round in 2016. The Cowboys finished in the top-six in both offensive points and yards in two of the past four seasons thanks to their incredible offensive line.

The Jets also used this model well back in 2006 when they used their two first-round picks on D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. New York built one of the best offensive lines in the league with those two young centerpieces and it allowed Thomas Jones and Shone Green to combine for five 1,000-yard seasons between 2007 and 2011.

Every year the Jets fail to build a quality offensive line wastes another year of Darnold’s growth and cheap rookie contract while shrinking the team’s window of opportunity to succeed. In a division now ripe for the taking without Tom Brady, the Jets need to make the prudent move and take the best offensive tackle instead of the best wide receiver.

2020 NFL Draft: The 5 best offensive tackles the Jets should target

Jets Wire takes a look at five of the top tackles in the 2020 NFL draft that the Jets should target with the No. 11 overall pick.

This year’s NFL draft is loaded with elite offensive linemen, and there’s no doubt Joe Douglas is well aware.

This works out perfectly for New York, as it is in desperate need of a new starting offensive tackle. Douglas already filled one of the tackle positions by signing George Fant in free agency, but the draft is where the Jets will find their starter on the other side of the line.

So, which top tackles should the Jets target with the 11th pick? Let’s take a look at the best players to keep an eye on.

Tristan Wirfs, Iowa

Wirfs dominated the NFL draft combine, leading to his ascension as the consensus No. 1 offensive line prospect in his class.

Wirfs played mostly right tackle throughout his career Iowa but can line up at left tackle and at guard. His versatility, technique and athleticism give teams the option to play him mostly anywhere on the line with the expectation he will produce at an elite level.

It seems unlikely Wirfs slips to the Jets at No. 11, but if he does, Joe Douglas and company would be foolish to pass on him.

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Touchdown Wire’s mock draft 4.0: Bucs take this Alabama OT to protect Brady

See who Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire believes the Buccaneers will select in the first round of the NFL draft to protect Tom Brady.

Another day, another mock draft, and another offensive tackle going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round.

The Bucs landed the biggest free agent in franchise history when they inked quarterback Tom Brady to a two-year deal, and now the priority becomes finding protection for him up front. Former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked 47 times last season, while Brady was sacked just 27 times in New England.

In the fourth edition of Touchdown Wire’s mock draft, Mark Schofield likes the Buccaneers using the 14th pick on Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., believing his size and strength will help take some of the pressure off Brady.

Per Schofield:

“Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. is a rock solid pass protector. Under charting from Pro Football Focus, he allowed a pressure rate of four percent or less in each of the past two seasons. He is a dominant run blocker, and comes from a diversified set of schemes that makes him ready on day one to handle the tasks asked of an offensive lineman in the NFL. The 34.5-inch vertical he posted at the Combine also speaks to his explosiveness.”

Some mock drafts have had Wills going in the top 10, so if he fell to 14 the Bucs may have no choice but to grab the talented Crimson Tide star. Tampa Bay is in “win now” mode with Brady on board. Protecting the Golden Boy is a key part of ensuring their future success.

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Giants select Jedrick Wills in latest CBS Sports mock draft

The New York Giants select Alabama OT Jedrick Wills and two others in the latest CBS Sports mock draft.

In the latest NFL mock draft, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the New York Giants doing the very obvious by taking a left tackle, a safety and an edge rusher.

The picks are based on need and it can be questioned if these are the best players for the job. The Giants did a decent job filling some needs in free agency and many are hoping they don’t do that here in the draft but rather bring in the most talented players they can to build upon.

Round 1, Pick 4: Jedrick Wills Jr., offensive tackle, Alabama (6’4″, 312)

Wills was dominant last season for Alabama and he’ll solidify the right side of the Giants’ O-line, which is great news for Daniel Jones.

With all four top tackles on the board, I would have rated Wills fourth, so my pick would have been Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs or Mekhi Becton of Louisville. That is, if the pressure to take Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons didn’t overtake me.

Round 2, Pick 36: Antoine Winfield, Jr., safety, Minnesota (5’9″, 203)

The Giants add a talented safety with NFL pedigree to their secondary.

Would not be my choice. I don’t like 5-foot-9 safeties (see Jayron Hosley). They get eaten up by tight ends and we’ve seen that way too often. The taller Ashtyn Davis of Cal was still on the board here, as was Iowa edge rusher A.J. Epenesa. I would have gone with one of them at this spot.

Round 3, Pick 99: Alex Highsmith, EDGE, Charlotte (6’3″, 248)

The Giants need to find some pass-rush help off the edge, and Highsmith is the type of prospect who can have an early impact.

I like Highsmith but only would have gone with him here if I didn’t take Epenesa. Still you can’t have too many pass rushers, so the more the merrier I guess.