18 Possibilities at Pick No. 18
The Jets will have plenty of talented options to choose from with their first-round selection, but here are the 18 players who could make the most sense for the Green & White with the 18th overall pick.
If the Jets are looking for a receiving threat out of the tight end position, Amaro's as good an option as any. The 6'5", 260-pounder set an FBS record for the position with 1,352 receiving yards last season. (Projected late 1st, early 2nd)
In his 2012-13 seasons combined, Barr tallied 41.5 tackles for loss and 23.5 sacks. (Projected mid-1st)
Beckham has been the most popular mock-draft pick for the Jets since the combine. He broke LSU's school record with 2,315 all-purpose yards last season. (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
"A fluid mover with very good range, he can cover a lot of ground and should be the top safety taken." - Mel Kiper, ESPN.com (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
Cooks makes up for his lack of size (5'10", 189) with blazing quickness. His times of 4.33 seconds for the 40, 3.81 seconds for the 20-yard shuttle and 10.72 seconds for the 60-yard shuttle were best among wide receivers at this year's combine. (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
"Like 2013 first-round pick Dee Millliner, Dennard has the length and aggression to excel in Rex Ryan's press-heavy scheme." - Rob Rang, CBSSports.com (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
Many analysts have compared Ebron to 49ers TE Vernon Davis. After breaking Davis' ACC record for most yards in a season (973), it's easy to see why. (Projected mid-1st)
It would be shocking to see Evans drop all the way to 18, but that unlikely scenario would lead to a no-brainer pick. The 6'5" receiver ran a 4.53 40 at the combine. (Projected top-10)
"Physical corner who could blossom under Rex Ryan. They could go wideout but the offense is ... in pretty good shape? The Jets need someone else across from Dee Milliner." - Will Brinson, CBSSports.com (Projected late 1st, early 2nd)
Ford earned unanimous All-SEC first-team honors after posting 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss last season. (Projected late 1st, early 2nd)
"Rex Ryan collects corners because his defense doesn't work if they can't lock up. The Jets have lost Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis in back-to-back years. Wide receiver can wait until Round 2." - Brian Baldinger, NFL.com (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
Lee's sophomore season was much more impressive than his junior year. Still, he finished his career with more catches, receiving yards and touchdowns than Clemson WR Sammy Watkins, each having played 36 games. (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
Martin (6'4", 308) set a Fighting Irish record with 52 starts, 50 coming at left tackle, although many analysts project he'll be drafted as a guard due to his lack of ideal length (32 7/8" arms). (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
"This could easily be a corner, but I think Rex might covet Pryor's aggressive style and experience disrupting at the catch point. That isn't to say that time at free safety was positive, but there were some flashes. Pryor needs to improve his tackling in the open field." - Josh Norris, Rotoworld.com (Projected mid-to-late 1st)
Roby started all 37 games played for the Buckeyes and finished his career with eight interceptions and 36 pass breakups. His 226 interception return yards rank third in school history. (Projected late 1st, early 2nd)
Among all linebackers at the combine from 2007-14, Shazier's 42.0" vertical jump ranks No. 1 while his 10'10" broad jump is third-best. (Projected late 1st, early 2nd)
"Ideally, Rex Ryan's 2014 team will push for the NFL lead in rushing attempts while leaning on its front seven to stay competitive on a weekly basis. Su'a-Filo is a nasty interior blocker with plus athleticism." - Evan Silva, Rotoworld.com (Projected late 1st, early 2nd)
Verrett ranked in the top-three among corners at the combine in the 40-yard dash (4.38 sec), vertical jump (39.0"), three-cone drill (6.69 sec) and 20-yard shuttle (4.00 sec). His size (5'9", 189) is what's holding him back from being a surefire first-rounder. (Projected late 1st, early 2nd)
