Hang in there, folks. Only 27 days of mock draft mania remain, and at long last, it will all be reality.
In the meantime, we can both agree that mock drafts are a hoot, right?
After all, this is a sport in which each team spends a paltry 187 of the calendar year’s 525,600 minutes in the midst of a live-action regular season snap (approximately 11 minutes per game across 17 games)—just 0.036% of our lives. That means we spend 365 days a year talking about the equivalent of one long movie (think “Oppenheimer” or “Avengers: Endgame”).
So, yeah, deliberating over hypotheticals is practically everything when it comes to the NFL.
On that note, it’s time to check back in on the latest consensus mock draft at NFL Mock Draft Database, featuring selections across the internet over the past week (March 20-27). Here is how things are shaking up.
Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana (98% of picks)
New York Jets: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State (74%)
Arizona Cardinals: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech (37%)
Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (48%)
New York Giants: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State (43%)
Cleveland Browns: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (37%)
Washington Commanders: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State (19%)
New Orleans Saints: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami (17%)
Kansas City Chiefs: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU (24%)
Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (36%)
Miami Dolphins: Makai Lemon, WR, USC (20%)
Dallas Cowboys: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee (23%)
Los Angeles Rams: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State (21%)
Baltimore Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State (42%)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami (37%)
New York Jets: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana (10%)
Arvell Reese remains the heavy favorite to be chosen second overall by the New York Jets. However, his slice of the pie has dwindled since our last check-in, about two weeks ago, when 85% of predictions had him pegged to the Jets. Perhaps the drop-off is due to the recent hysteria over Reese’s viral workout clip.
At No. 16, the Jets stick with the expectation of drafting a wide receiver, but they opt for a face we haven’t yet seen in the consensus mock draft: Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ignited the Cooper-to-New York discussion when he predicted this pick in his latest mock draft. It appears that a few mock drafters have followed suit, although at 10%, Cooper is hardly an overwhelming favorite. This remains the least predictable selection in the top 16.
Nonetheless, it continues to be the prevailing expectation that New York will select an edge defender and a wide receiver in the first round.
Reese maintains a high likelihood of being the second pick, but players like David Bailey and Rueben Bain haven’t stopped nipping at his heels just yet. At No. 16, it’s anybody’s guess who the Jets will end up with, but a pass-catcher is widely expected.
The key word there is “pass-catcher”. Don’t rule out the possibility of New York selecting Oregon tight end Keyon Sadiq with the 16th selection.
In the consensus mock, Sadiq is available to the Jets at No. 16. If this transpires in real life, the Jets may have a hard time passing up on one of the greatest athletes in the history of the position, who offers the ability to run routes from the slot and block in-line at a high level—especially if all three of Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, and Jordyn Tyson are off the board, as the consensus believes they will be.
The Jets’ NFL draft outlook only gets more fascinating by the day. Buckle up, people.
In a modern football world where a guy running around a tackling dummy in his shorts can garner 4-plus million views from passionate draftniks, the takes and narratives are due to get spicier and spicier over the next 27 days.