AFC East Mock Draft: Two Teams Trade Down, All Four Load Up
By Daulton Drew
Round 3 - Patriots select Jalen McMillan
If you're reading this, your love for football knows no bounds. If you care about a rival's or your own 3rd round pick as much as I do, you are in a hallowed hall. Anyway, I told you I would get some offense, and I did. Jalen McMillan is a horribly underrated prospect who seems to be flying under everyone's radar. He is a jack-of-all-trades type of receiver. He is good in contested catch situations, he ran a 4.47 which is not blazing fast, but not slow, and he is good with the ball in his hands, but not electric. He is prime WR2 territory in the NFL when the Pats need a WR1, but his familiarity with Penix, his impressive route tree, and his consistency make him a great pickup for the Pats offense.
Round 3: Jets select Johnny Wilson - WR Florida State
So the Jets added Mike Williams to their WR room this offseason, but I think grabbing Johnny Wilson in round 3 is good value. He is freakishly tall with a crazy wingspan for a receiver, and on top of that, he ran a 4.52 at the combine, which is absolutely not slow. for reference, Javon Baker, who is another good 3rd round prospect ran a 4.54 and he's only 6'1". Wilson, while not as elite in contested catch situations as you'd like, still has the ability to go up and pluck balls out of the air that some defenders may not even reach. He had great production in 2022, and saw it dip slightly this year, which could be due, in part, to his QB breaking his leg midway through the season. With proper coaching and usage, Wilson could be a dangerous addition to most offenses in the league.
For those of you that stuck around, I hope you found the mock insightful. We know teams will make selections that seem outrageous or make no sense, but that is the fun and magic of the draft! Check back in for my Graham Barton and Ja'Tavion Sanders deep dives coming soon as well as more mock drafts as we steam forward towards the draft!