Adding T Armand Membou and TE Mason Taylor Equals a Coup for Green & White

Jack Bell

The mock drafts have been stuffed in the drawer until the months before the next NFL Draft, in Pittsburgh April 23-25 next year.

Last month's three-day extravaganza brought the Jets seven players, including No. 7 overall pick TArmand Membouand No. 42 overall TEMason Taylor.

Three draft analysts, Mike Sando of The Athletic, Gennaro Filice of NFL.com and Matt Miller of ESPN.com were in unison when the rated the Jets' plan as one of the strongest in the NFL.

Mike Sando, senior writer, NFL for The Athletic, spoke to a number of league executives who complimented the Jets on their approach.

"Execs liked the philosophy behind selecting an offensive lineman in the first round for a second consecutive draft [following last year's top pick, LTOlu Fashanu]," Sando wrote. "They universally endorsed second-round tight end Mason Taylor."

Although the Jets have a strong backup option inTyrod Taylorand agreed to terms with UDFA Brady Cook, one executive thought they could have elected to go with a developmental QB during the draft.

"I thought the Jets should have been in play for Jalen Milroe," the exec said. "They draft Membou, so they are prioritizing the line of scrimmage a second year in a row. They are going to be a clear running threat with [QB] Justin Fields, but when you play that way, you open him up to potential injury. Milroe would let them continue playing that style."

Taylor (No. 42 overall), the third TE selected after Colston Loveland (No. 10 overall to Chicago) and Tyler Warren (No. 14 overall to Indianapolis), earned raves from another exec.

"Big fan of Mason Taylor's game," the exec said. "If I were Indy, I would have waited and taken Mason Taylor in the second round instead of taking Tyler Warren in Round 1. I just think in the NFL, unless you are a [Rob Gronkowski] Gronk, a [George] Kittle or someone that can play big at the catch point and win 50-50s at a high rate, you have to be able to separate as a pass catcher. Taylor can do that."

Over atNFL.com,Gennaro Filice, the site's deputy editor, written content, rated the Jets' selections under GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn No. 4 in the league -- a solid A grade.

"Full disclosure: I like digging for Day 3 gold as much as the next draftnik, but if you simply nail the premium picks, I'll give you a sparkling grade. And I absolutely loved what the Jets did with the first three selections" of the new era.

And "while Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren dominated all discussions of this year's tight end crop, Taylor is a well-rounded prospect with plenty of NFL potential at age 20.

"In Round 3, the Jets stopped the slide ofAzareye'h Thomas, a cornerback who had some first-round buzz before running a substandard 40 at Florida State's pro day."

Favorite Pick -- Armand Membou:"One year after New York opted to take an offensive tackle (Olu Fashanu) over a tight end (Brock Bowers), many mocks thought the Jets would flip the script and draft TE Tyler Warren at No. 7 overall. But no. Different regime, same approach. Gang Green grabbed Membou -- the top-rated tackle prospect on many big boards,."

Sleeper -- SMalachi Moore: "New York traded up 15 slots to target Moore [Rd. 4, Pick 143], who offers high-level experience (46 starts at Alabama), leadership (two-time team captain for the Crimson Tide) and positional versatility (extensive snaps at all safety roles, as well as nickel).

Matt Millerof ESPN had Taylor, who played at LSU and is the son of former Dolphins and Jets player Jason Taylor, ranked No. 16 among "The Best 100 Picks, Steals, Fits."

"If you want to unlock quarterback Justin Fields'' potential, getting him a tight end who can be a safety valve is a great way to do it. Taylor is a safe pick because of his natural receiving skills and ability as a route runner. He might be too lean to be an accomplished blocker right away, but Taylor is a high-effort player who could quickly become the Jets' No. 2 receiving option."

Undrafted, but Not Untalented

In addition to their seven-player draft class, the Jets have reportedly agreed to terms with 15 undrafted free agents.

Three of them -- Michigan RB Donovan Edwards, Missouri QB Brady Cook and Ole Miss K Caden Davis --were ranked among the top threein their position groups atNFL.com.

Edwards (5-11, 205):In his pre-draft analysis, Lance Zierlein offered comments and post-draft rated Donovan the No. 1 UDFA RB and wrote: "A well-built runner with good size, Edwards gets what is blocked for him but lacks creativity and play traits to find pro yardage on a consistent basis. He won't wiggle his way around tacklers but puts in an honest effort each snap and falls forward for additional yardage. He's an adequate pass catcher."

Cook (6-2, 214):Chad Reuter post-draft ranked Cook the No. 3 UFDA QB, and Zierlein wrote: "Tantalizing prospect thanks to his athleticism and arm talent but the more I studied, the more doubt creeped in. Cook played with a better command of the offense in 2023, which led to better in-game rhythm and results. He can make every NFL throw but struggles to make them with consistent timing and accuracy."

Davis (6-1, 208):Reuter post-draft rated Davis the No. 3 UFDA specialist and Zierlein wrote: "Well-built kicker with the leg strength to match his frame. Davis handled kickoff duties at Texas A&M before transferring to Ole Miss, where he handled all kicking chores. He is able to generate power without sacrificing lift (field goals) or hang time (kickoffs) and hits the ball with fairly consistent flight."