2022 NFL draft: Jets land star corner, versatile lineman in Draft Wire’s new 3-round mock

The Jets broke back into the win column against the Texans last weekend, but New York is 3-8 and dead last in the AFC East entering Week 13.

There is still hope for the future though, as one of Gang Green’s few silver linings is that Joe Douglas will once again have the chance to land two impact players in the first round of the draft. The Jets are currently slated to pick fourth with their own pick and fifth with the first-rounder they acquired from the Seahawks in the Jamal Adams trade.

Draft Wire’s latest three-round mock has Douglas using those picks to address New York’s most pressing needs in the secondary and on the offensive line before using day two of the draft to upgrade on both sides of the ball.

Let’s take a look at who Draft Wire has the Jets selecting in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL draft.

Round 1, Pick 4: LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr.

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Stingley has not played since September after undergoing foot surgery and has been banged up the last two seasons, but he is the consensus top cornerback in this year’s draft (although Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner might have something to say about that). Stingley has lockdown potential at the position. He played an instrumental role in LSU’s national championship run in 2019 and has drawn comparisons to Saints star Marshon Lattimore. With the Jets unproven and inexperienced in the secondary, Stingley could be an early target.

Round 1, Pick 5 (via SEA): NC State OL Ikem Ekwonu

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The Jets have needs at guard and tackle. Ekwonu has the ability to address them both. An All-ACC performer on the interior and the outside, Ekwonu can line up opposite Mekhi Becton at right tackle or at right guard. That would give New York two rising stars with Alijah Vera-Tucker manning the left guard position.

Round 2, Pick 36: South Carolina EDGE Kingsley Enagbare

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Enagbare played a key role in South Carolina’s turnaround under rookie head coach Shane Beamer this season, finishing with 43 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The Georgia native has the frame to line up as a defensive end in a four-down front and would likely be a first-round pick in a draft class that was not littered with elite pass rushers. The Jets would be lucky to get their hands on him early in the second round.

Round 2, Pick 41 (via CAR): Michigan S Daxton Hill

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Hill is an elite athlete with impressive range that helps him in coverage. He has a nose for the ball that allows him to make his fair share of tackles in run support, too. Hill could benefit from a bit of work on his technique in coverage, as he often relies on his athleticism to make plays, but that’s what New York’s defensive coaching staff is for.

Round 3, Pick 69: Colorado State TE Trey McBride

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McBride was the only good thing to come of a Colorado State season that just ended with the firing of Steve Addazio. McBride caught 90 passes for 1,121 yards and a touchdown. HIs 90 receptions might indicate that he is purely a pass-catching tight end, but McBride can also play in-line — a staple of Addazio’s stone-age offense — and throw key blocks.

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