Set to select seventh overall, the Jets sit in an interesting position as things stand. A number of options will be available to the new regime of Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn, many of which have already been mentioned.
Another one has emerged as the countdown to the first round nears its end. SNY’s Connor Hughes reports receiver Tetairoa McMillan has specifically been named as a potential target. The Arizona product has seen his stock shift over the course of the pre-draft process, but hearing his name called early tonight remains a distinct possibility.
Glenn has been reported to be pushing a defensive addition on Day 1, but Hughes notes the selection of an offensive lineman or a skill-position player remains the focus of attention around the team. Right tackle represents a need, while selecting a receiver or tight end would add to an offense which has undergone plenty of changes this offseason. If McMillan is on the board at No. 7, it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds. A pursuit of running back Ashton Jeanty – the subject of trade-up efforts by the Bears – meanwhile, should not be expected, ESPN’s Rich Cimini adds.
Here are some other last-minute draft notes:
- For now, at least, the Panthers are scheduled to select after the Jets. Trading down has long loomed as a possibility for general manager Dan Morgan, and that remains the case at this point. If Carolina stays at No. 8, The Athletic’s Joe Person reports Jalon Walker is still the “presumed pick” as things stand. That comes as no surprise given the long-running links to the Georgia linebacker/edge rusher. Otherwise, Person names Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham as an option, along with McMillan if the team is moved toward an offensive addition.
- Tyler Warren is considered one of two first-round locks at the tight end spot. He is a strong candidate to be drafted in the top 10 as a result, but teams outside that range are interested as well. The Colts are among them, per Hughes. That comes as no surprise, given the constant connections made between Indianapolis and the team targeting a TE move with Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland. The Colts own pick No. 14, so a trade up the board would be required for Warren in particular.
- Moves up and down the order have reportedly received consideration in the case of the Broncos. The latest update on that front comes from Person’s colleague Dianna Russini, who reports Denver is looking to trade up from No. 20. A running back or other skill-position player could be the target of such a move, depending on where in the order the team lands. Since the Broncos own the pick one spot before the Steelers (a potential QB landing spot), they will remain a team to watch closely in any event.
- How things shake out at the quarterback position will be key as it pertains to Kirk Cousins. The veteran looms as an option for teams which are unable to select a rookie this weekend as he seeks a fresh start and starting opportunity. Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer reports Cousins could waive his no-trade clause as early as tomorrow based on the QB landscape at that point. Day 2 looms as a time when many teams could add signal-callers, however, and Palmer adds a more likely scenario would be for the one-year Falcons passer to wait until after the first three rounds take place to decide on how he wants to proceed. Cousins, 36, wants to avoid a repeat of how Atlanta operated last offseason but by the end of the draft there could of course be few (if any) suitors left in need of a short-term addition under center.