The New York Jets are being projected to land their quarterback of the future in a rather surprising way.
The New York Jets desperately need a quarterback, and with a pair of first-round picks at their disposal, it's inevitable that the Jets will take a signal-caller on Day 1 of the NFL Draft this April.
Right?
Well, that's not how T.J. Randall of Pro Football Network views it.
Randall just posted a seven-round mock draft that has the Jets selecting Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain and USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the No. 2 and 16 picks, respectively ... and then circling back around to nab Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the top selection of the second round.
"With the first pick of the second round, New York (hopefully) has their quarterback of the future," Randall wrote. "Simpson’s performance backslid down the stretch, but the positive moments confidently fell under the first-round scope."
Why is this surprising? Because most are viewing Simpson as a first-rounder, even after his second-half slide that ended in the 23-year-old exiting Alabama's Rose Bowl loss to Indiana early due to a cracked rib.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson. Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images.There had been speculation that Simpson would return to school for another year, but his father, UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson, revealed that the NFL executives he spoke to all said that his son would be a first-round draft choice.
Simpson certainly comes with a lot of question marks. He only made 15 starts on the collegiate level, which is a major red flag. His arm strength is only decent, and he doesn't possess elite athleticism.
Nevertheless, many perceive Simpson as the second-best quarterback in this draft class behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who is almost a shoo-in to be chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick.
Obviously, the Jets would be mitigating a whole lot of risk by snatching Simpson on Day 2 rather than spending a first-round selection on him, but it's important to keep in mind that New York could also trade down from No. 2 for more draft capital.
That would allow the Jets to potentially pick up another first-round pick, which would give them three first-rounders. They could then use one of the picks on Simpson (or potentially Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss).
We'll see what Gang Green decides to do this April.
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