It must be tough to be a New York Jets fan. This season was obviously a disaster. The quarterback situation is a laughable mess. The only silver lining was that the team had a good shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
Not anymore.
Sunday's 16-11 victory over the Tennessee Titans took the team out of the running for the top pick as their record "rose" to 3-11. The Jets are now projected to pick all the way down at No. 6, likely out of the range for Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston, the top two QB prospects.
So who will they target now that a potential franchise signal-caller is likely out of the question? ESPN Insider Todd McShay took a crack at that question in his Mock Draft 1.0 yesterday.
"In this scenario, Mariota and Winston are already off the board," McShay wrote. "The Jets are desperate enough to find a franchise quarterback that they could trade up a few spots to draft either player if they fall in love with one, but if they're stuck at this spot, I think they should take the best player available in [Alabama wide receiver Amari] Cooper. They need O-line help, but the top-rated prospect on my board, Brandon Scherff from Iowa, is best-suited to play guard at the next level. He'll be a great one for a long time, but the No. 6 overall pick is a steep price to pay for a great guard. Percy Harvin provides no guarantees, and Cooper would be an upgrade over Eric Decker, who is really best-suited to be a No. 3 WR. He'd provide a great target for whenever the Jets find their right guy at QB."
That last part is key. One day, the Jets will have a capable quarterback under center. A great wide receiving corps such as Harvin, Decker and Cooper would help his transition to the pro-level and likely help him succeed early on in his career.
Cooper is a potentially game changing talent. He set an SEC record this season with 115 receptions for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns. Yes, the team has needs elsewhere, as McShay pointed out. But adding one of the most talented prospects in the draft is never a bad thing.
