Mock Draft Monday 1/5 '26
One Dance
One Dance
- Jets Mock Draft
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake’s One Dance. It’s the 12th track off his album Views, since I gotta follow the Drake albums in chronological order because I’m too lazy to pick a song every Monday.
One Dance samples UK singer Kyla’s Do You Mind, which was recorded in 2008. It became Drake’s first UK #1 hit record as a lead artist. One Dance was also his first solo chart-topper on the US Billboard Hot 100, with both Best I Ever Had and Hotline Bling peaking at #2. Catchy song, this type of Dancehall beat was everywhere in 2016.
On to the ball…
Jets Mock Draft (January Edition)
Round 1
- Landing the #2 pick instead of having to trade up for a QB is a major sigh of relief. In my opinion, Fernando Mendoza is the best QB in this class, but I could believe in Dante Moore. Not that Moore has any character or leadership issues, but Mendoza has a genuine dorkiness that would likely make him unfazed by the bright lights of New York. Moore seems a bit more laid back and nonchalant, which could work too, but we don’t really know much about his personality at this point. In terms of on the field, both guys have solid NFL arms and above-average mobility as pocket passers. Mendoza has three years of starting experience, one on the main stage at Indiana, and he’s had plenty of clutch moments this season where you can tell he has “IT.” Moore came into this season with one season of starting experience as a freshman at UCLA, but was being coached by Chip Kelly, who was already on his way out the door. Both Mendoza and Moore face each other head-to-head on Friday night, which could very well decide who goes 1st in the NFL Draft. The last time the Raiders had the #1 pick, they selected JaMarcus Russell. The last time the Jets had the #2 pick, they selected Zach Wilson. Surely, both franchises can’t screw this up worse than those past picks.
- With the first of two 1st Rounders that Indy traded to the Jets for Sauce Gardner, I got the Jets landing Cashius Howell. At 6’2” and 255 lbs., Howell could be considered a bit undersized by NFL standards, but he’s a missile off the edge. For the past three seasons between Bowling Green and Texas A&M, Howell has arguably been the most consistent pass rusher in College Football. In 39 games since ‘23, Howell has produced 25 sacks, 33 TFLs, 78 QB Hurries, and 15 QB Hits. The Jets need upgrades all over their defense, but the pass rush should be addressed first and foremost. New York finished the season with 26 sacks in ‘25, which was the 2nd fewest in the NFL.
Round 2
- Anthony Hill Jr. is the kind of stud college middle linebacker who would’ve been a surefire Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft if this were anytime before the late 2010s. The middle linebacker position has seen a bit of a resurgence, thanks to the running game becoming more prevalent, but I still doubt too many off-ball linebackers go in the 1st Round. With the 1st Pick in Round 2, the Jets add their future defensive captain to man the middle. Hill Jr. will only be 21 years old by the time of the ‘26 NFL season, so his potential is tantalizing. The Longhorn linebacker made 40 starts in 3 seasons, finishing with 249 tackles, 31.5 TFLs, 17 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, and 3 INTs. The 2nd Team AP All-American is a tackling machine with great instincts and excellent speed for the position.
- Credit to Jets GM Darren Mougey for taking fliers on young WRs such as Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie as add-ins for the draft capital trades. Both Mitchell and Metchie flashed some signs of competence with Tyrod Taylor under center. That said, it’d be best to treat them as depth pieces instead of starters. Germie Bernard’s game is relatively similar to Garrett Wilson’s in that he can be used in a lot of different ways. He has the size to play outside, but also the quickness out of the slot. His circus catch against Oklahoma GIF’d above was ridiculous, but it’s his YAC ability that’s most impressive.
Round 4
- Drafting a second pass rusher this early would be a sign that the Jets are ready to move on from Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald. Good riddance. Mikail Kamara has spent the past five seasons under Curt Cignetti. He was an under-the-radar recruit who played three seasons at James Madison before transferring with Cignetti to Indiana. In the two seasons before ‘25, Kamara combined for 17.5 sacks, 33.5 TFLs, and six forced fumbles. While his sack totals this year are down, Kamara has still caused 45 QB Hurries this year alone. The Hoosier pass rusher doesn’t have as much raw athleticism as Cashius Howell, but he has plenty of quickness and power generated from his low center of gravity.
- With all their cap space, the Jets should franchise tag Breece Hall or give him a multi-year extension. Whether they do so or not, and even with Braelon Allen returning, adding another impact RB to the mix like Kaytron Allen in the mid-rounds makes sense. Allen is Penn State’s all-time leading rusher with 4,180 career rushing yards. 792 of Allen’s 1,303 rushing yards this season came after contact. The good news is, he spent all four seasons sharing the backfield with Nicholas Singleton, so it’s not like he’s already used goods entering the NFL. Allen-Allen & Hall may sound like a law firm, but it would make for a top-notch backfield.
Round 6
- For well over a decade, it felt like the Jets used every high draft pick on a defensive lineman. Thus, they’ve tended to have plenty of depth at defensive tackle since the Rex Ryan days. That’s no more after Joe Douglas gutted the position for a couple of seasons and Darren Mougey traded away Quinnen Williams. Rayshaun Benny has three seasons’ worth of starting experience in the middle of Michigan’s defense. As a starter, Benny had 47 tackles, 12 TFLs, and 4 sacks. It’s doubtful that he’ll ever turn into much of a pass rusher at the NFL leve, but the 5th year senior out of Michigan has been one of the best run defending interior linemen in the Big Ten.
- Adding Gracen Halton, along with Rayshaun Benny, may not land the Jets two long-term starters, but should at the very least provide some depth at a depleted unit. Halton has shown signs of pass-rush potential with 8.5 sacks from the Sooners’ defensive interior the past two seasons, while also coming up with 63 tackles and 13 TFLs.
- Treydan Stukes is likely to fall in the NFL Draft due to being an older prospect. The Arizona cornerback was a true freshman in 2020 and then had his 2024 season shortened to just 4 games, which gave him a medical redshirt year in ‘25. The 6th-year graduate senior made the most of his final year with the Wildcats, finishing AP 3rd Team All-American with four interceptions and six pass deflections. This past season, Stukes was targeted just 40 times, allowing 24 catches for less than 10 yards a catch, and he didn’t give up a TD. The Jets became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without an interception, so as much as fans can hype up their young corners, they could still use a guy who can catch the ball.
Round 7
- With the first of their 7th Rounders, I’d take a flier on Eric Gentry. He’s a bit of a physical freak at linebacker, standing 6’6” with a 7-foot wingspan. Short space is obviously not the strength of the long-limbed linebacker, but he improved as a run defender throughout his career with the Trojans, finishing with 76 tackles and 7 TFLs this past season. Ideally, Gentry can develop into a chess piece used in coverage against TEs on passing downs, but given the Jets need plenty of players, his traits are worth the experiment.
