New York Jets First Round NFL Draft Targets: Could Kayvon Thibodeaux Head To The Big Apple?

The Jets enter this year’s NFL Draft with two top-ten selections. They have their own pick at #4 overall as well as the Seahawks’ pick at #10, which they acquired in the Jamal Adams trade. As the Jets enter the second season of Zach Wilson’s career, they have built an impressive young nucleus of talent. With their two early first-round picks this year, they have the opportunity to continue to add to that group. In this article, I’ll discuss the Jets’ draft tendencies and which players they could target in the top ten this year.

Jets’ Offseason Round-Up

The Jets have had a very successful offseason so far as they attempt to build a strong supporting cast on offense for sophomore quarterback Zach Wilson. C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin provide stability to one of the worst tight end rooms in the NFL. Laken Tomlinson will be a high-level starting guard. Resigning Braxton Berrios was a top priority after he was a First-Team All-Pro kick returner and had some strong performances down the stretch as a receiver.

New York has also made a few notable moves on defense. Cornerback D.J. Reed and safety Jordan Whitehead were signed as starters in the secondary, and both should provide an upgrade. The return to health for Carl Lawson will be the biggest boon for the defensive line, but the loss of Folorunso Fatukasi as a run-stuffing nose tackle will need to be addressed.

New York Jets Remaining Team Needs

With the Jets’ several premium picks in this year’s draft, they have a handful of team needs likely to be addressed. I would argue that wide receiver is currently the most significant need for the Jets, even after drafting Elijah Moore in the second round last year. Jamison Crowder left for the Bills in free agency, and while Corey Davis was a solid free agency signing, he has yet to have a 1,000-yard season in his career.

Defensive end also profiles as a significant need in the Jets’ attacking 4-3 scheme. John Franklin-Myers is an excellent run defender, and Carl Lawson is on track to be ready for training camp. However, Robert Saleh’s defense is built on getting after the quarterback without blitzing, and the team is still lacking an elite pass-rush presence.

Since becoming general manager, Joe Douglas has invested heavily into the offensive line. He’s spent first-round picks on linemen in the last two years with Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker and brought in George Fant, Connor McGovern, and Laken Tomlinson in free agency. Despite not being an obvious need, we should expect the Jets to add to the group, given the importance of depth along the offensive line.

Cornerback could be a need for the Jets even after adding D.J. Reed in free agency, although the team seems more enthusiastic about the continued development of recent draft picks Bryce Hall and Michael Carter. A running back could be added in this draft, and a starting linebacker next to C.J. Mosley is still needed.

Joe Douglas Draft History

Current Jets General Manager Joe Douglas got his start with the Baltimore Ravens in their personnel department, and he worked under draft legend Ozzie Newsome for 15 years. From there, Douglas was the director of college scouting for the Bears for a year before becoming the vice president of player personnel for the Eagles in 2016.

In Philadelphia, Douglas was part of a mixed bag of draft results with questionable choices, including the first-round selections of quarterback Carson Wentz, defensive end Derek Barnett, and offensive tackle Andre Dillard, none of whom have panned out to the level that would be expected.

Douglas’s first draft with the Jets came in 2020, and it has not panned out so far. Mekhi Becton dislocated his kneecap last year, and there are serious medical question marks moving forward. Denzel Mims had a disastrous sophomore season in the NFL. Ashtyn Davis, Jabari Zuniga, and La’Mical Perine have all struggled to make an impact.

However, Douglas rebounded with an impressive draft in 2021. Zach Wilson could be the team’s long-term franchise quarterback. Alijah Vera-Tucker had an excellent first season as a starter. Elijah Moore and Michael Carter were significant offensive contributors.

Joe Douglas Draft Tendencies

As far as tendencies go, we can glean some insights from Douglas’s decisions with the Jets’ draft picks. He has only selected three players from non-Power Five programs, and there seems to be some big-school bias. He has also prioritized leadership and character traits, with eleven of the nineteen players he has selected in the last two years being collegiate captains.

Douglas has prioritized offense with the team’s early picks – all five of his first and second-round picks have been on the offensive side of the ball so far. Douglas has then gone heavy on defense in the later rounds with five defensive backs drafted in two years.

One of the main takeaways from Douglas’s draft picks has been the emphasis on athletic traits – seven of the players he has selected over the last two years have had a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.0 or better, which is tied for the most in the NFL. Speed has been a priority, with high-percentile 40-yard dash times preferred, particularly at cornerback and receiver.

New York Jets First-Round Draft Targets

DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon: If Thibodeaux is still on the board at #4 overall, I believe that would be the Jets’ selection. Thibodeaux meets many of the team’s preferences – he comes from a Power-Five program and tests favorably with a stellar RAS of 9.63. Concerns over his over-confidence and lack of concentration on football have been overblown, as I covered in an article last week, and Thibodeaux is a perfect fit for Robert Saleh’s defense.

DE Travon Walker, Georgia: Once considered a fringe first-round pick, Travon Walker is now viewed as a near-lock to be a top-five pick per draft pundits and sportsbooks. Walker’s stock exploded after an all-time combine with a RAS of 9.99, and the projectable traits are through the roof despite a lack of consistent on-field production at Georgia. If he’s still on the board at #4, it’s easy to see the Jets buying into his upside with Saleh coaching him.

OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State: Despite the team’s heavy offensive line investment in recent years, the Jets have been heavily linked to Ikem Ekwonu in the pre-draft process. Ekwonu would fit the team’s recent directive of spending early picks on offensive players, and he would also provide some insurance against Becton’s medical question marks. Ekwonu is a road-grading offensive tackle with power, balance, and nastiness for days.

OT Evan Neal, Alabama: While Ekwonu has been more commonly linked to the Jets, Evan Neal could also be an option in the top ten. Neal has experience playing offensive guard, which helps his projection for the Jets, who already have a fairly established offensive line core. Neal isn’t quite the destructive power player Ekwonu is, but he has elite size and athleticism as well as the technical refinement for high-level pass protection.

CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU: The Jets added D.J. Reed to a young cornerback group with upside over the offseason, but they could still look to add another top player to the group. It seems unlikely that the Jets would target a cornerback at #4, and Ahmad Gardner would likely be off the board by #10. With some more question marks in his evaluation, Derek Stingley could still be on the board at #10, however, and the Jets could take a swing on his elite upside as a high-caliber athlete from a Power-Five program.

WR Drake London, USC: The wide receiver position is most commonly mocked to the Jets at #10, and they will have a handful of great options available. Drake London would provide a contested-catch presence that doesn’t currently exist in their offense, and his big-bodied, physical nature would help Zach Wilson’s development tremendously. London can play as a big slot in their offense or as a traditional X-receiver.

WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State: Some draft pundits have Garrett Wilson as the top receiver in this draft class, but the Jets may be concerned by his lack of size at 5’11”, 183 lbs. To Wilson’s credit, he’s a rare athlete with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and dynamic ball skills at the catch point. Wilson’s ability to create YAC would also help generate more explosive plays in a currently underwhelming offense.

WR Jameson Williams, Alabama: If Williams hadn’t torn his ACL at the end of last season, he might have been the consensus top receiver in this draft class. Williams has elite downfield speed and combines it with tremendous body control and start-stop change-of-direction ability. Williams’s ability to take the top off the defense would make life easier for everyone in the Jets’ offense.