The Jets signed Le’Veon Bell in free agency to fix their offense, so expect them to try to bolster their defense in Round 1 of the NFL Draft.
Head coach Adam Gase was hired by the New York Jets to help Sam Darnold develop into a top-flight quarterback. The Jets also elected to sign Le’Veon Bell to make their offense much more dangerous in 2019. All that means the organization must use the draft to improve their mediocre defense.
The Jets will almost certainly look to add the highest-rated pass rusher on their board when they go on the clock with the No. 3 selection. If an offensive tackle was rated highly enough to go in the top five it might tempt New York to look in his direction, but that’s not the strength of this class.
It’s also worth remembering that the Jets don’t have a second-round pick at their disposal. They used that choice to move up and grab Darnold last year. It’s hard to envision a scenario where the Jets wait all the way until Round 3 to grab someone who can help boost their pass rush next season. Here are the five guys most likely to join the Jets next season.
5. Rashan Gary
Rashan Gary would be an excellent fit for the 3-4 defense the Jets currently employ. He was used primarily as a defensive tackle at Michigan, but he’s a big defensive end in the NFL. That size makes him ideally suited to play in a front-three.
With that being said, the Jets should have the option to choose a pass rusher with a little more sizzle with the No. 3 pick. Gary is someone they will take a close look at during their pre-draft process, but he’ll need to do something really special between now and draft day to tempt the Jets to take him with their current first round selection.