Jets and Giants beat writers Brian Costello and Paul Schwartz predict the players each team will pick in the first round of Thursday’s 2023 NFL Draft which is being held in Kansas City, Mo.:
Costello’s call
OT Broderick Jones, Georgia
We correctly predicted the Jets would draft Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson last year.
This year is trickier at No. 15, but I still think at least one of the top tackles will be available when the 15th pick arrives.
The Jets originally had the No. 13 pick, but shipped it to the Packers as part of of the trade package in the Aaron Rodgers deal.
I’m going to go with Georgia’s Broderick Jones.
He can start out at right tackle as a rookie and then become a long-term answer at left tackle after this season when both Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton are scheduled to be free agents.
Jones, who protected Stetson Bennett on Georgia’s national championship-winning team, reminds me of Jets great D’Brickashaw Ferguson in how he is built.
The Jets only could dream of landing another Ferguson.
Check out Brian Costello’s latest seven-round mock draft for the Jets.
Paul’s pick
WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
Daniel Jones did not get paid all that money to hand the ball off.
It seems addressing the need at cornerback can wait until the second round.
Flowers, who left Boston College as the school’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving touchdowns, is a dynamo and was limited only by the creativity of the coaches around him.
His size (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) is not ideal but his speed, explosiveness and movement on the field are all too-notch.
You think Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka can muster up some creativity and find multiple roles for another playmaker?
Check out Paul Schwartz’s latest seven-round mock draft for the Giants.