Report: Falcons foiled Jets’ draft trade with Broncos

Joe Douglas wanted to trade back in the third round, but the Atlanta Falcons foiled his plans.

Joe Douglas proved he wasn’t afraid to make deals in his first draft as general manager. He traded back twice in the 2020 NFL Draft and almost moved a third time in an attempted deal with the Broncos, according to the New York Daily News.

The Broncos wanted to trade up in the third round from No. 83 to the Jets’ No. 79 pick to draft Temple center Matt Hennessy and were willing to give up an additional Day 3 pick to do it – likely either the 178th or 181st pick. Douglas would have pulled the trigger on what would have been his third trade of the draft, but the Falcons snatched Hennessy one pick before No. 78 and the trade fell apart.

The Jets, who were linked to Hennessy in a lot of pre-draft reports, ended up taking Florida defensive end Jabari Zuniga with their pick while the Broncos grabbed LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry at No. 83, Wake Forest linebacker Justin Strnad at No. 178 and Fresno State guard Netane Muti at No. 181.

Though the trade didn’t happen, it’s another great sign of Douglas’ mentality when it came to the draft. While he valued Zuniga early in the third round, he saw the greater return in acquiring more draft capital and only moving back a few spots. It’s impossible to guess the draft board if you throw in another trade, but there’s a good chance the Jets would have been able to draft Zuniga with the Broncos’ pick anyway, similarly to how Douglas traded back in the second round and still landed wide receiver Denzel Mims with the 59th pick.

We won’t know if Douglas’ first draft class is good or not until the Jets play this fall, but the early signs are promising considering the Jets grabbed a few starter-level prospects with their nine picks. While Mims and first-round pick Mekhi Becton should provide an early return on the Jets’ investment, Zuniga could prove to make the biggest impact among the Jets’ rookies — despite his draft selection and injury history — because of his athleticism and innate pass-rushing ability.

The Jets could have taken… Re-drafting each of their 9 selections

We play a little alternative pickstory with the Jets’ 2020 NFL draft.

Joe Douglas’ first draft as general manager is in the books and the early reviews are positive. We gave Douglas and the Jets a “B” for their overall draft class, which blended high-character people with starting-caliber players at various positions of need.

It’s impossible to know if this class will pan out better or worse than previous classes, so for now, we can have a little bit of fun to see who Douglas could have drafted with the Jets’ nine picks.

For this exercise, we’ll assume Douglas still makes all the trades he did this weekend so as not to alter the draft order. This is an inexact science because obviously any change in the selections would likely change almost every subsequent selection by other teams, but it’s still interesting to see an alternative look at what Douglas could have done at various points in the draft.

Here are the players the Jets could have taken in the 2020 draft.

No. 11 – OT Tristan Wirfs

The Jets were always going with a tackle at this spot. They had their choice between Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs. Though Becton is a great prospect with massive size, quick feet and impressive run-blocking ability, the Jets could have gone with the more experienced and polished Wirfs with their first-round pick.

Wirfs played both tackle positions in college and was adept at run- and pass-blocking for Iowa. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time among tackles and only allowed seven total pressures – two sacks, two quarterback hits and three hurries – in 2019 for the lowest pressure rate of any tackle in the draft. The Buccaneers traded up to take Wirfs one pick after the Jets took Becton.

Pages: 123456789

2020 NFL draft: Lloyd Cushenberry III scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about LSU offensive line prospect Lloyd Cushenberry III

Lloyd Cushenberry III | OL | LSU

Elevator Pitch

A technically-sound blocker with strength and a bulky frame, Cushenberry is a pro-ready player who can come in and start quickly for an NFL team. He has some athletic limitations, but he’s a polished interior offensive lineman who can be a relatively safe pick on Day 2 of the draft.

Vitals

Height | 6-3

Weight | 312

College Bio Page

Strengths

Cushenberry served as the anchor of LSU’s championship-winning offensive line, and he certainly stands out on tape.

The redshirt junior does a good job of playing with good technique on a down-by-down basis. Cushenberry’s pad level is consistently sound, as he does a great job of sinking his hips and fighting to be the lower man in each encounter he has with a defender. He almost always plays with his weight underneath him, allowing him to generate more power when he jabs an opponent. That pad level complements his overall strength, as he has top-notch core and lower-body strength. He has a thick frame and has the drive in his legs to seal off running lanes for his teammates in the ground game.

As if his pad level and strength weren’t enough, Cushenberry also has a great sense of hand usage. He consistently is able to execute proper hand placement, hitting defenders in between the shoulder pads and using his strong grip strength to keep them locked up and to prevent them from disengaging. While he wore No. 79 at LSU, he was awarded as one of the No. 18 jersey holders, given to players within the program who are successful on and off the field.

Weaknesses

Though Cushenberry has plenty of technical strengths in his game, his athletic profile is fairly underwhelming. He isn’t a smooth mover in space, as his footwork is inconsistent and his lateral quickness is relatively pedestrian. That can leave him susceptible to stunting edge rushers, as well as interior defenders who offer great athleticism when rushing the passer.

Cushenberry can occasionally lunge a bit too much at times, causing him to lean over and get knocked off balance from time to time. Balance is a bit of an issue for him, as his overall coordination and weight distribution when moving around can be a bit off.

Projection: Day 2

[vertical-gallery id=614699]

2020 NFL Draft: Tristan Wirfs falls to Jets in NFL Network 3-round mock

In NFL Network’s post-combine mock draft, the Jets are able to re-tool their offensive line with their first two selections.

With the NFL Scouting Combine ending last weekend, the NFL is in a holding pattern of draft buzz until the start of the new league year. With that, NFL Network’s Chad Reuter released his latest mock draft, a three-rounder.

In this hypothetical, the Jets are able to reload the offensive line while finding potential replacements for both Robby Anderson and Jordan Jenkins on Day 2. At the same time, the Jets whiff on the copious amount of wide receiver talent in this draft.

Free agency will be telling of what the Jets plan to do round-by-round. For now, projections are the best measurement until it is understood what the front office wants to do with the offensive line.

With that said, here’s a look at the players selected by Reuter in each round for the Jets.

First Round: Tristan Wirfs | OL | Iowa

It’s unlikely that Tristan Wirfs is still on the board with the 11th pick, but with Cleveland trading out of No. 10 and four quarterbacks going within the top-10 picks, it opens up a window for New York.

Here’s the explanation for the pick from Chad Reuter:

The Jets’ O-line is a mess right now. Wirfs gives them a stout protector whether he’s at guard or tackle.

While the Jets seem interested in trading for Trent Williams, who the Redskins have made available via trade, that doesn’t take them out of the running for OL in the first round.

Wirfs is athletic enough to play both tackle spots. He started 10 games at right tackle and three games at left tackle for the Hawkeyes in 2019. Daniel Jeremiah believe Wirfs has All-Pro potential at guard, too.

Wirfs would make an immediate impact on the Jets wherever he lines up. He is a big, powerful offensive tackle who shows off a solid balance of size, speed and strength. The 6-foot-5, 322-pound product from Iowa would be a homerun first pick for Joe Douglas and company.

Pages: 1234

6 Senior Bowl prospects the Jets should target in the draft

Temple’s Matt Hennessy and LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry III are among prospects at the Senior Bowl that the Jets should priortize come April.

Senior Bowl week is upon us down in Mobile, Alabama, which means scouting efforts will be in full force for the Jets and the NFL’s 31 other teams.

This is Joe Douglas’ first opportunity to shine as Jets general manager. He has his work cut out for him, whether it’s scouting the impressive offensive line class or finding new weapons for Sam Darnold.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at six players the Jets should have their eyes on at the Senior Bowl, which takes place Saturday.

C Matt Hennessy – Temple

Matt Hennessy, the brother of Jets long snapper Thomas Hennessy, would love to return home and be teammates with his brother for the first time on a football field.

Hennessy is quickly becoming a hot name in a rather weak center class. Washington’s Nick Harris has consistently struggled in one-on-one drills, while Hennessy has stood out. He has arguably been the best offensive lineman in Mobile thus far, consistently stonewalling opposing defensive linemen, as he did in college.

The Jets have struggled to find a mainstay to bark out signals on the offensive line. The team has gone through five centers in the past three seasons and have failed to replace the stability and production that Nick Mangold brought to the position for over a decade.

What stands out with Hennessy is his football intelligence and his pass blocking skills. At Temple, Hennessy was one of the most consistent pass blockers in the nation, not allowing a sack in 828 snaps. He allowed four total pressures during his junior campaign, per Pro Football Focus. He graded out as PFF’s top-ranked center in the FBS this season (86.9).

Pages: 123456

2020 NFL Draft: Top prospects to watch in National Championship Game

Here are a few of the top prospects that could help the Bears to watch in Monday’s National Championship Game between LSU and Clemson.

All eyes will be glued to Monday night’s National Championship Game, where the LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers will battle for the collegiate championship glory.

There will be plenty of scouts in attendance, and the Bears have plenty of needs they need to address this offseason. Monday night’s game will feature some of the best prospects heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here are a few of the top prospects that could help the Bears to watch courtesy of Draft Wire:

EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson

LSU

With Leonard Floyd’s future in question, Chicago needs an edge rusher that can thrive opposite Khalil Mack. Chaisson’s explosiveness coming off the weakside is something that should make him an attractive option for teams.

In 2019, Chaisson had 58 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. His freakish athleticism and natural ability shows he can be effective as a speed rusher off the edge.

[lawrence-related id=435384,435433,435073,435064,434530]

Pages: 12345678