The Jets bolstered their special teams on Saturday, taking record-breaking punter Braden Mann with the No. 191 pick.
With the 191st pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Jets selected punter Braden Mann out of Texas A&M.
With Lac Edwards unsigned, and former Pittsburgh camp invitee Ian Berryman the only punter on the roster, the Jets brought in the record-breaker from College Station. Mann was widely believed to be the top punting prospect during in the lead-up to the draft, and he had the hardware to prove. In addition to unanimous All-American honors in his 2018 junior season, Mann took home that year’s Ray Guy Award (given to the nation’s best punter) and also reached the All-SEC team twice.
Mann also broke several records during his time as an Aggie. His average of 50.9 earned last season was the best in NCAA history, as were his 14 punts of at least 60 yards.
The Jets previously selected a Texas A&M punter during the draft proceedings in 1969. That specialist, Steve O’Neal, went on to boot the longest punt in NFL history, a 98-yard history maker against Denver.
Barring future developments, the Jets’ next selection will be their last of the 2020 slate.
With the 150th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected guard Shane Lemieux out of Oregon.
Shane Lemieux was a four-year starter for Oregon, starting 52 games at left guard. Lemieux has been referred to as a team leader who leads by example by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. He is very strong, quick for his size, and has the potential to start in the NFL. Zierlein described Shane as the prototype of a physical, blue-collar guard.
Lemieux seems to be stout in the run game but has had some struggles in pass protection. He will not be an instant starter with the New York Giants and will have time to sit behind one of the league’s best in Kevin Zeitler and develop.
Shane Lemieux is the third offensive lineman drafted by Dave Gettleman and the Giants in 2020. After drafting Andrew Thomas fourth overall, New York doubled down on the tackle position with Matt Peart with the 99th pick. Now they have added depth to the guard position with Oregon’s Shane Lemieux. He joins a young core of lineman that already had Will Hernandez and Nick Gates in place.
Formerly of Bowling Green and Florida International, James Morgan was the New York Jets’ second of six Saturday picks.
The New York Jets added to their quarterback room with their second of six picks of Saturday’s 2020 NFL Draft. With the 125th overall pick, the Jets chose James Morgan, an alum of both Bowling Green and Florida International.
Morgan tallied 8,645 passing yards and 65 touchdown passes over his four collegiate seasons with the Falcons and Golden Panthers. His banner year came with FIU in 2018, when he led Conference USA with a 157.6 passer rating and 8.4 yards per attempt.
Morgan also raised his draft stock by participating in the most recent East-West Shrine Game, where he threw a touchdown pass in his East squad’s victory at Tropicana Field.
Though Sam Darnold is still the presumptive starter, Morgan becomes the second thrower added this offseason. Former Dallas Cowboys draftee Mike White joined up in late December, while incumbent backup David Fales was re-signed.
The pick used to take Morgan was the first of two picks acquired from the New England Patriots in a trade enacted late Friday night. New England got back the 101st overall pick from the Jets and also sent over the 129th choice and a sixth-round pick for next season.
The New York Jets shored up their rushing game in the form of another Florida Gator, taking Lamical Perine with the first of six picks.
The New York Jets opened up the final stages of the 2020 NFL Draft proceedings by taking Florida running back Lamical Perine with the 120th overall pick.
Perine tallied 2,285 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns over four seasons in Gainesville. He put up 11 scores in his senior season alone, good for ninth in the SEC. His finest performance was his last as a Gator, coming in the 2019 Orange Bowl. Perine reached the end zones three times and tallied 181 yards of total offense as Florida rolled to a 36-28 win over Virginia.
Football runs through Perine’s bloodline. He is cousins with both Miami Dolphins running back Samaje Perine and Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack.
Perine is the first of six Jets picks scheduled for Saturday. Their next selections comes at No. 125.
The New York Jets have a busy day ahead of them as the NFL Draft concludes. What can fans expect on day three?
New York fans wanted sports back. Between the New York Liberty’s plethora of picks in last weekend’s WNBA Draft and the New York Jets’ most recent moves, teams are giving their fans plenty to talk about.
After a trade with the New England Patriots, the Jets have six picks over the final four rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. They own their allotted spots with the 120th, 158th, and 191st picks, while they gained the 125th and 129th from the Patriots. Kansas City also sent over the 211th in exchange for Darron Lee last spring.
What can fans expect with these final picks? ESM investigates…
A Special Day
The Jets began to address their special teams issues this week. Incumbent kicker Sam Ficken re-signed with the team on Thursday, setting up a competition with Brett Maher. On Friday, the Jets used the pick gained in the Leonard Williams deal to draft California safety Ashtyn Davis, who spent two years as the Golden Bears kickoff returner (finishing second in the Pac-12 in yardage in both seasons).
While it’s probably not an ideal contest (Ficken and Maher ranked 30th and 32nd in conversion rate last season), it’s difficult to imagine the Jets adding a third kicker. So that probably rules out Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship, a mainstay in the final picks of ESM experts’ mock drafts. But the extra draft capital affords the Jets a chance to further bolster the unit.
With no progress on the Lac Edwards situation, the Jets could open another competition at punter. Ian Berryman, whose NFL experience consists of a Pittsburgh summer stint, is the current option, which could lead the Jets to take a look at Braden Mann of Texas A&M. Mann earned unanimous All-American honors and set the NCAA record for best average (51.0) en route to Ray Guy Award honors. It seems like a small problem at first glance, but, until the Jets can consistently score, a reliable punter will be a must-have accessory.
Davis can help the return game, but the Jets should keep an eye on Virginia’s Joe Reed as the afternoon wears on. Reed not only became a return game legend in the ACC (his 3,042 yards are second all-time), but he can also help the offense as a slot receiver (14 touchdown catches over the last two seasons).
Spelling R-B
The Jets’ foreseeable future at the running back spot begins and ends with Le’Veon Bell…especially when you consider what they’re paying him. But Bell will need a spell option as the Jets press on. Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery are still free agents, and modern Bell understudies include Trenton Cannon and Kenneth Dixon. With the offensive line possibly on its way to rejuvenation, it could be a good time to be a Jets running back.
A name to keep an eye on is Patrick Taylor from Memphis. An injury cost him a portion of his senior season, but he was a consistent short-yardage and red zone prescience. Other steals behind the quarterback could include FCS stud James Robinson from Illinois State and Javon Leake of Maryland, who can also insert himself into the return game picture as well.
New Faces at Familiar Places
Over the first two days of the draft, the Jets have shored up several need positions. Some say the Jets have been the robbers of the 2020 draft, beneficiaries of the respective falls of Mekhi Becton and Denzel Mims, allowing them to upgrade their blocking and receiving. Could day three continue that trend?
While there’s no denying the Jets have improved, at least on paper, but the extra draft capital could allow them to revisit positions already addressed. They definitely need a cornerback (Virgina’s Bryce Hall and Notre Dame’s Troy Pride will probably be on the board when they make their trio of selections in the 120s), but their wheeling and dealing at the virtual draft table has allowed them to be repetitive.
Another small school wonder to look out for Division III interior blocker Ben Bartch. Their interior depth is desperate need of replenishment, after all, and the Jets have yet to make a selection in the department. The ridiculously deep receiver class also continues to make itself known. Donovan Peoples-Jones may be worth a look, as would Liberty’s Antonio Golden-Gandy.
The New York Jets earned three picks from the New England Patriots, in exchange for a pick they previously wrangled from Seattle.
The New York Jets ended the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft with a little bit of history.
For the second time in their respective timelines, the Jets engaged in a trade with the New England Patriots. New York sent over the 101st over pick, the 37th selection in Friday’s third round proceedings. The yield was a pair of choices in Saturday’s fourth round (Nos. 125 and 129), as well as a sixth-round pick in 2021.
New England subsequently used the pick on the latter of back-to-back tight ends, Virginia Tech’s Dalton Keene. They previously chose Devin Asiasi out of UCLA with the 91st pick.
Though trades between the AFC East rivals are indeed rare, this is the second deal they’ve made over the past seven months. In September, the Jets ironically sent over a 2021 sixth-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for receiver Demaryius Thomas.
The Jets now own six selections over the final four rounds of the virtual draft, which will finish up on Saturday (12:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/NFL Network). In addition to the newly acquired Patriots picks, they own their bestowed slots in the fourth (No. 120), fifth (158th), and sixth rounds (191st) and a sixth-round choice from Kansas City (via the 2019 Darron Lee trade). Their seventh-round pick was sent to Baltimore in a trade for offensive lineman Alex Lewis made late last offseason.
With the 99th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Matt Peart, offensive tackle, out of UCONN.
Matt Peart is a solid right tackle who stands in at 6 feet 7 inches and weighs 318 pounds. He is a four-year starter who grew up in the Bronx after moving to the United States from Jamaica. One of Peart’s strengths is his long arms, listed at 36 5/8”.
Peart is a little raw but a great offensive tackle prospect with a high developmental ceiling. According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Peart has nimble feet with the ability to mirror once he latches in and tons of athletic potential to work within his pass sets.
This is not an instant-impact selection for the Giants, but Peart is a potential starter down the road. He has time to learn and develop behind Nate Solder and Cameron Fleming this year and could take over at right tackle in a few short seasons. He needs to add some play-strength and refine his skill set, but working closely with offensive line coach Marc Colombo bodes well for Matthew Peart’s NFL future.
The New York Jets’ second Friday selection, Zuniga missed most of his senior year with an injury, but built a solid career in Gainesville.
With their second of three third-round picks, the New York Jets chose Florida defensive end Jabari Zuniga with the 79th overall selection.
Zuniga originally began his athletic endeavors with plans to follow his father to the hardwood. Carlos Zuniga was a basketball player at Tulane, averaging 6.1 rebounds over three seasons.
He dedicated his career to football in his senior year of high school and went on to play at Florida. Though most of his senior year was lost to a high ankle sprain, Zuniga earned 116 tackles and 18.5 sacks. Notably, he six tackles, half of which resulted in a loss, during Florida’s opening weekend win over Miami back in August.
The Jets certainly hope this third-round selection from Florida goes better than the last time they embarked on such a journey. Last season, they added linebacker Jachai Polite, but he failed to make the team out of training camp.
Barring any trades, the Jets’ final Friday selection will come in the 101st slot, a pick they obtained from the Seattle Seahawks earlier in the evening.
With their pick obtained from the Leonard Williams trade, the New York Jets selected Cal-Berkeley safety Ashtyn Davis.
With the 68th overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Jets took Cal-Berkeley safety Ashtyn Davis. The Jets earned this pick through a trade with their MetLife Stadium co-tenants, the New York Giants.
Davis totaled 166 tackles and seven interceptions during his four years with the Golden Bears. He also worked as the Golden Bears’ kick returner for two seasons, finishing second in the Pac-12 in return yardage in each of those campaigns (2017, 2018). New York finished 22nd in kick return average last season after 2018 Pro Bowler Andre Roberts departed for Buffalo.
The Cal product is the first safety the Jets have taken in the NFL Draft since they went with current starting pair Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye over the first two rounds of 2017. Davis’ predecessor in terms of Golden Bears chosen by the Jets is another 2017 pick, fourth-round receiver Chad Hansen.
The Jets also hold the 79th and 101st selections to cap off their Friday night proceedings, barring any trades.
With their first Friday night selection, the New York Jets took Baylor receiver Denzel Mimis with a pick obtained from Seattle.
The New York Jets used the 59th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft to take Baylor receiver Denzel Mims.
Mims departs Waco ranked third in touchdown receptions (28), fifth in overall receptions (186), and sixth in yardage (2,925). He set career-bests in his senior season with 66 receptions and 12 touchdowns, while also putting up 1,020 receiving yards. His college career was capped off with seven touchdowns over his final six games, including one last score in Baylor’s Sugar Bowl tilt with Georgia.
The Jets were in desperate need of receiving help after the departure of Robby Anderson to Carolina. Mims has the playmaking ability the Jets could desperately use to make Sam Darnold more comfortable. He appeared in the Big 12’s top ten in average receptions twice, including a career-best 17.8 during his sophomore season (seventh in the conference).
Mims is the first Baylor Bear drafted by the Jets since they took quarterback Bryce Petty in 2015’s fourth round.
The Jets will next choose in the 68th slot, in a pick obtained from the New York Giants in a fall trade.
