WFAN's Evan Roberts knows what position he wants the Jets to target with pick No. 11 in the 2020 NFL Draft. He's just torn on who the best player at that position is.
"So the Jet community is a little split," Roberts told Nick Kostos and Ross Tucker on 'You Better You Bet.' "There's one side that says sure up the offensive line some more, there's the other side - which I'm on - that is enamored by the idea of getting a big-time wide receiver...of getting our Julio Jones, [although> I know that's setting the bar very high."
"I am intrigued by taking the best wide receiver available, but, I don't know who that is," Roberts continued. "Every mock draft I look at every time I try to study this, every time I watch tape, I go back and fourth. One minute, I think it's Jerry Jeudy...the next minute I'm thinking maybe it's CeeDee Lamb...then I'm thinking [Henry> Ruggs. So, I don't know, but I'm definitely on the side of Jets' fans that are intrigued by giving Sam [Darnold> a playmaker to play with and going and getting the best wide receiver out there."
In the latest RADIO.COM Sports NFL Mock Draft, the Jets select former Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy with the No. 11 overall pick. In three seasons at Alabama, Jeudy caught 159 passes for 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns.
However, while Jeudy is the top overall graded wide receiver by quite a few outlets, Roberts is right in saying that there are some that prefer his former college teammate, Henry Ruggs III, who ran an NFL Combine best 4.27 40-yard dash. Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network is among those that have CeeDee Lamb, who played his college ball at Oklahoma, ranked as the best receiver in the 2020 class. Crabbs says that Lamb is "a top-shelf wide receiving prospect," one that will be "an impact starter early on."
Perhaps such a deep class will create a scenario where Joe Douglas and company will hit with any of the wide receivers that they would take with the No. 11 pick. Of course, the Buffalo Bills moved up in the deep wide receiving class of 2014 to select Sammy Watkins with the No. 4 overall pick. While Watkins has had a nice NFL career, he's currently playing for the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, his third NFL team. Meanwhile, Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans, two clearly superior players, were selected later in the first round. The Jets don't want to end up in a situation where they select the third best wide receiver in a loaded class, despite potentially having the chance to pick from all three.
Certainly, though, the Jets need to upgrade the weapons around Sam Darnold. That was true at the outset of the offseason, and is even more true now that Robby Anderson has departed in free agency.
Then again, Pro Football Focus ranked the Jets as having the fifth-worst offensive line play in the NFL in 2019. It would be hard to be mad over a selection that improves Darnold's protection.
Like at wide receiver, there are a bunch of talented offensive tackles in this class without a consensus No.1. Whether the Jets would take an offensive lineman may be dependent on how the board shakes out in front of them. In the most recent RADIO.COM Sports NFL Mock Draft, former Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and former Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton are off the board before pick No. 11, but both former Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and former Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. are still on the board and viewed as top-15 picks. If the Jets decide that taking an offensive lineman is their best route, they should be in good position to land a stalwart at No. 11, or move up a few picks to land their desired prospect.
You can listen to Roberts' full interview below:
