There is less than a week until the Draft. As things stand, this is how I see things playing out for the Jets (not necessarily what I want to happen).
Jets trade 29th overall pick and 61st overall pick to Atlanta for 19th pick and select Earl Thomas, S, Texas
I know a lot of people are against trading up and want to trade down to pick up as many players as possible in the deepest Draft in years. Let's be honest, though. That isn't how Mike Tannenbaum works. He finds a guy he loves and targets him. I think it would be an upset if the Jets didn't trade up in the first round. At this point, my guess is it will be for Thomas, a ballhawking cover safety who could play the Ed Reed role the Jets wanted Kerry Rhodes to play. Brodney Pool is an injury risk and a stopgap. Thomas can solidify free safety for a decade.
Jets use the 124th pick to select Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina
Joseph went in the first round of our mock. He is very big and athletic. In another year, he probably would be gone by this point. This Draft is so deep, it's realistic to expect him to drop here. He has the talent to be a dominant force on the defensive line, but he is inconsistent. I could see Rex believing he can get the most out of this guy. He could project to end or tackle in the 3-4.
Jets use the 198th pick to select Jared Veldheer, T, Hillsdale
If there's one thing we know about Mike Tannenbaum's Draft philosophy, it's that he likes to trade up for players he likes and isn't afraid to give up a lot to get them. If there's a second thing, it's that he likes to take developmental tackles in the late rounds. The Jets have taken one three years in a row, Jacob Bender, Nate Garner, and Matt Slauson. Veldheer is 6'8" 312 pounds and has excellent athleticism. Having played at a small school, he is a project, but there is upside.
Jets use 236th pick to select Kerry Meier, WR, Kansas
Meier is a big receiver with good hands the Jets could try to develop to work underneath potentially to play the slot one day. He was also Kansas' backup quarterback, which could give him some value as a gadget player.