Jerry Jeudy's second most likely landing spot in the NFL Draft? The New York Jets
The New York Jets are the second-most likely team to select Jerry Jeudy in the upcoming NFL Draft according to oddsmakers William Hill.
Jeudy is considered the top wide receiver in the draft and is entering the league off a productive three years at Alabama. Last season, Jeudy had 77 catches for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns and is coming off an NFL Combine where he posted a strong 4.45 time in the 40 and a 35-inch vertical. Jeudy, despite not being the biggest of wide receivers at 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds, still manages to make tough catches.
And the Jets, according to William Hill, have the second best odds at +250 to land Hill at No. 11 in the draft. The Oakland Raiders, picking one selection behind the Jets, are actually the favorites to draft Jeudy at +175.
The only reason why the Jets aren’t the favorites in the Jeudy sweepstakes is because they are likely to go offensive line, in particular offensive tackle, at No. 11. Jeudy, after all, fits a big need for the Jets but the offensive line is a bigger and more pressing issue.
SportsIllustrated.com’s Corey Parson notes that the Jets need offensive line help but he likes adding a playmaker like Jeudy to an offense that lacked explosiveness last year.
“I know this is a deep wide receiver class and there will be talented players in the second and third rounds, but I don't see how the Jets can be serious about putting Sam Darnold in the right situation to win and leave Jeudy on the board,” Parson wrote on April 1.
The Jets do need a playmaker on offense, especially after losing Robby Anderson in free agency. Free agent signing Breshad Perriman has huge upside but has struggled to consistently perform, the former first round pick struggling during his five seasons in the NFL. Perriman posted career highs last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in receptions (36), receiving yards (645) and touchdowns (six).
But contrary to Parson’s opinion, the Jets overwhelming need at offensive line far outweighs any needs or deficiencies at wide receiver.
If Andrew Thomas or Jedrick Wills are available at No. 11, the Jets almost surely will draft offensive tackle with their top pick. While adding targets for Darnold is ideal, so too is protecting their young quarterback.
Thomas or Wills, while not the top tackles coming into the draft, are certainly class players who can be decade-long starters for the Jets (a team that has ignored the offensive line in the draft for almost a decade).
Jeudy would certainly transform the offense, adding a much-needed playmaker to a bland (and sometimes ineffective) unit last year. But Darnold can’t utilize an elite wide receiver if he’s under a swarm of pressure from the snap.
Offensive line is likely the priority here as reflected in William Hill’s odds.
To read the full breakdown from Parson, click here.
