Tyreek Hill traded: Here’s who Jets can select with draft picks they reportedly offered Chiefs for star WR

What’s next for the Jets after losing out on trading for Tyreek Hill?

New York was deep in the Hill sweepstakes before the former Chiefs star signed with the Dolphins. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New York GM Joe Douglas had an offer with multiple picks on the table. 

Here’s what Schefter reported that the Jets were willing to part with to land Hill:

Now, of course, the Jets still have those selections. Let’s identify and evaluate the prospects who they could draft with those picks in late April.

To pinpoint ranges of prospects, I utilized the site Grinding The Mocks, which aggregates mock-draft ranges from all over the Internet to create an “Expected Draft Position” (EDP) for every prospect. Over the years, it’s proven to be rather accurate on draft weekend. 

These are the prospects currently “within range” of both of the Jets selections early in the second round, at No. 35 and No. 39 overall, who’d also be sensible fits for the Jets in Year 2 of the Zach Wilson era. 

• Penn State WR Jahan Dotson (EDP of 35.6), 
• Minnesota EDGE Boye Mafe (36), 
• Georgia WR George Pickens (37.5), 
• Penn State EDGE Arnold Ebiketie (43.4), 
• Washington CB Kyler Gordon (45.1), 
• North Dakota State WR Christian Watson (46.6)

I’m really high on the top four prospects here and feel like Dotson going early Round 2 is more justified than somewhere in the 20s in Round 1. Yes, he has a similar body type to Elijah Moore and their strengths and weaknesses align. But for as much as teams like to have talent diversity in their skill-position groups, having two Moore types wouldn’t be a bad development for Wilson’s maturation process. 

It feels like the EDP for Mafe will continue to rise the closer we get to the draft. His 41.5-inch vertical at his pro day last week provided a little bump, and no one would be shocked if he lands in the first round, especially after the injury to David Ojabo. Now, if he happens to be there when the Jets pick at No. 35 — Hello, value! 

Pickens is an enigma of sorts as a former monstrous recruit who looked like he was tracking toward being an A.J. Green type prospect at Georgia before tearing his ACL last March. He got back onto the field and made a few splash plays during the Bulldogs national title run. We just didn’t see much of him in his final collegiate season. He’s a sizable, high-end talent who can be plugged in on the perimeter instantly and wins with deceptive quicks for his size and a catch radius the size of a Chevy Tahoe. I have a first-round grade on him, by the way, although my grades don’t factor injuries. The same is true for my grade on Ebiketie. His one season at Penn State, after transferring from Temple, was sensational. The burst, bend, pass-rush moves are all there. Are any of those attributes sensational? No. But they’re close, and the Jets do need more juice around the corner. 

Gordon is a super-flexible zone cornerback who really chips in against the run. He didn’t test as well at the combine as many expected, which has precipitated his expected fall into Round 2. He has plus mirroring skills. 

Watson doesn’t do it for me. The athletic profile indicates he’d be worth a pick in Round 2. The North Dakota State star is epically explosive at 6-4 and nearly 210 pounds. I didn’t see consistent YAC capabilities — in the FCS, mind you — and he’s mostly a vertical route tree, scheme-him-open type. 

Here are the prospects expected to be in range at No. 69 overall, the Jets third-round selection, who, position-wise, would seemingly address a need for New York. 

• UTSA CB Tariq Woolen (62.6)
• Baylor S Jalen Pitre (71.1)
• Mississippi State CB Martin Emerson (72.1)
• Purdue WR David Bell (72.9)
• Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce (73.3)
• USC EDGE Drake Jackson (74.2)

Woolen is a dude. That, in scouting vernacular, indicates a freaky athlete. At 6-4 and 205 pounds, Woolen ran 4.26 and had a 42-inch vertical at the combine. Now, I think he’s more project than instant starter to be selected this high for a rebuilding team. But the linear athleticism and length are tantalizing. 

Pitre is one of my favorite defensive backs in this class. He’s more of a slot defender than anything else, which is valuable in today’s NFL and, in theory, would complement free safety Marcus Williams exquisitely. Pitre’s twitch, smoothness, and football intelligence keep him around the football. A lot. 

Emerson is another long, physical boundary cornerback who probably would’ve had a better reputation had he entered the league a decade ago because he’s not the most agile defender. 

Bell was once considered a possible late first-round prospect who tanked his combine with a super-slow 4.65 time in the 40 and bottom-tier vertical and broad jumps. He’s a “pace” player who smartly uses different speeds to his advantage to lull corners to sleep before accelerating to get open. Bell tracks it outstandingly deep and was very productive at Purdue. 

Pierce, like Watson, is a big-body receiver who plays to his large frame on high throws and tested out out of the stadium in Indianapolis at the combine. Changing directions is not his forte, and he has balance issues. Jackson has an awesome burst and bend combination and bulked up for the combine after appearing lanky on film at USC. His pass-rush move arsenal needs major development, and he has to get much stronger.