As an eventful NFL free agency cools down, mock draft season is just heating up.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah published the third editions of their mock drafts Tuesday, and both project the Giants and Jets to select game-breaking playmakers — including one through a surprise trade.
Kiper envisions Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze going to the Giants at No. 6 and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers landing with the Jets at No. 10, just as he did in last month’s mock.
“[The Giants] don’t have a true No. 1 guy who can dominate on the outside. They could add that in Odunze, a touchdown machine in a 6-foot-3 frame,” Kiper wrote.
“There have been rumblings about New York being a team to watch for the quarterbacks, but I just don’t see it. The team is committed to Daniel Jones for at least one more season because of the extension he signed last year, and I think this is too high to take JJ McCarthy.”
Kiper’s mock predicts the top three picks will be quarterbacks, with the Bears drafting USC’s Caleb Williams, the Commanders taking LSU’s Jayden Daniels and the Patriots selecting UNC’s Drake Maye.
He then mocked Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Cardinals at No. 4 and LSU receiver Malik Nabers to the Chargers at No. 5.
His mock did not include trades.
With the Jets retooling their offensive line with the free-agent signings of left tackle Tyron Smith and left guard John Simpson, along with a trade for right tackle Morgan Moses, Kiper gave Aaron Rodgers an elite target in the 6-4, 240-pound Bowers.
“The Jets have to maximize their window with 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers,” Kiper wrote. “That’s what I keep coming back to. So after they were able to sign left tackle Tyron Smith to a one-year deal, who’s the player they could take here to make the most immediate impact? For me, it’s Bowers, a tremendous pass-catching tight end who could elevate the offense and provide a safety blanket for Rodgers.”
Unlike Kiper, Jeremiah included trades in his mock — and some big ones.
He projected the first four picks to be quarterbacks, with Chicago drafting Williams, Washington taking Maye, New England selecting Daniels and Minnesota trading up to No. 4 for Michigan’s McCarthy.
Jeremiah then has the Jets moving up to No. 5 to select Harrison, who delivered back-to-back seasons with 14 touchdowns and more than 1,200 receiving yards.
“The Jets are all-in with a veteran quarterback and they recently acquired two offensive tackles to shore up the O-line,” Jeremiah wrote. “They desperately need another playmaker to complement Garrett Wilson, so they trade up to select Harrison, the top receiver in the draft and Wilson’s former Ohio State teammate.”
The Giants then take Nabers at No. 6 in Jeremiah’s mock.
“I wouldn’t rule out the Giants trading up for a quarterback this year,” Jeremiah wrote. “If they stick and pick at No. 6, adding Nabers’ playmaking ability would be a good move.”
Jeremiah’s previous mock draft, which came out last month, gave the Giants a quarterback in Daniels at No. 6 and the Jets an offensive tackle in Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga at No. 10.
The Jets averaged a paltry 15.8 points per game during a 2023 season in which Rodgers tore his Achilles four snaps into Week 1. The Giants were even worse at 15.6 points per game during a year in which Jones made only six appearances before a season-ending ACL tear.
The draft is scheduled to take place April 25-27 in Detroit.
