In his latest mock draft, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has the Jets making a surprise selection at No. 11.
Jeremiah has consistently been one of the most accurate mock drafters each year. In Jeremiah’s pre-free agency mock draft last season, he correctly pinpointed the Jets’ eventual selection of DT Quinnen Williams.
Many anticipate the Jets will take an offensive lineman with the team’s first pick, No. 11 overall, but there’s a high chance that there will already be four off the board, as Jeremiah himself projects in his mock draft.
In that scenario, Jeremiah has the Jets taking a bit of a wild card route. He projects the Jets will select LSU pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson with the No. 11 pick, passing over potential No. 1 wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy.
Here is Jeremiah’s explanation for the pick:
General manager Joe Douglas is desperate to upgrade the OL, but in this scenario, the run at the position has already taken place. Chaisson is an outstanding athlete and would fit smoothly into the Jets’ scheme.
Chaisson is an athletic freak at defensive end and has the ideal build and mobility for the edge rusher position at the next level. Standing at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, he has the combination of size and speed that enables him to bend off the edge and dip under tackles with good balance.
The production for Chaisson didn’t exactly come in bunches at LSU, but that should be ignored when evaluating the prospect. Chaisson would fit right into Gregg Williams’ defensive scheme and add much-needed pressure off the edge to complement the dominant interior defensive line.
Before getting into the media, Jeremiah was a college scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles. Jeremiah and Joe Douglas’ time overlapped in Baltimore, so they were brought up under similar NFL upbringings.
Jeremiah knows that Douglas would like to upgrade his offensive line, but it’s easier said than done when there are 10 teams picking in front of you.