New York Jets

HEIGHT: 5'7 7/8"

WEIGHT: 201

      

POSITIVES

— Smooth, one-gear runner, which allows him to let plays develop. Has the running style of a true glider.

— Good, tight footwork in the backfield and when cutting down the field. Doesn’t get out of sorts and try to do too much.

— Footwork and great quickness allow him to lull defenders to sleep before cutting suddenly.

— Plays with good balance and has the ability to keep his feet through contact. Is a tough runner despite his smaller frame.

— Solid vision and patience. Does a nice job of reading the flow of plays and will bounce plays when necessary, not just because he thinks he can win a footrace. Never in a rush to press the hole and does a nice job of setting up his blockers on a variety of run schemes, showing good awareness of intent.

— Angle and choice routes are in his repertoire, and he shows above-average awareness of timing in the pass game. Natural ball-catcher; doesn’t fight the throw.

— Offense was exclusively from the gun, but he has a running style that would translate nicely to a zone running scheme.

      

NEGATIVES

— Below-average size won’t allow him to be a featured back in an offense with lots of touches.

— Played in an RPO-heavy offense where pass protection had simpler assignments for the RB in their dropback game.

      

2020 STATISTICS

11 G, 156 carries, 1,245 yards, 8.0 avg., 9 TD, 25 rec., 267 yards, 2 TD

      

OVERALL:

Michael Carter has a glider running style that is reminiscent of Alvin Kamara at a smaller size. His patience, quickness, vision and overall run toughness will allow him to translate nicely to any type of running scheme, but a zone-heavy scheme that allows him to read plays and decide when to get north will be his best fit.

Although not asked to run a ton of routes, he shows flashes of good route-running ability and body control. Size will always be a negative for him, and the overall ability to identify and perform in pass protection will be the big question mark for how much he can stay on the field.

Ideally he plays in an offense in which he can recreate a one-two punch like he had in college with Javonte Williams.

       

GRADE: 7.7/10 (Mid-Late Second Round)

OVERALL RANK: 68/300

POSITION RANK: RB3

PRO COMPARISON: Alvin Kamara

      

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice

The New York Jets added a speedy playmaker to the outside on Friday, selecting Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore with the No. 34 overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft.

Fantasy football players will be wondering what type of fantasy impact Moore will have as a rookie. And the answer, as always with rookie wideouts, is to keep your expectations tempered. 

Moore had a superb junior season in 2020, registering 86 catches for 1,193 yards and eight scores. He'll immediately add a big-play threat to a Jets offense that needs one for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. 

Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network ranked Moore as the No. 26 player on his final big board, calling him a "an undersized wideout with outstanding versatility, quickness and toughness" who "gets a lot of quick hitters, and he's very elusive after the catch. He also makes some huge plays over the top, tracking the ball naturally and showing reliable hands."

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. was even higher on Moore, ranking him 16th in the 2021 draft class and calling him "one of the most pro-ready receivers in this class, a slot target who can run every route."

Jets’ Elijah Moore caught 97% of catchable targets beyond the line of scrimmage in 2020.

Best among all WRs in College Football. pic.twitter.com/T02Hm7VtxR

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 30, 2021

The slot aspect of Moore's game is an interesting wrinkle, however, considering the presence of Jamison Crowder on New York's roster (assuming he doesn't get traded or cut). Moore has more upside and explosiveness than Crowder, but the veteran is as steady and reliable as they come when healthy, averaging 4.2 catches and 6.4 targets per game in his career. 

The Jets have re-made their WR group, looking like this at the top:
* Corey Davis
* Jamison Crowder
* Elijah Moore
* Denzel Mims
* Keelan Cole

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 30, 2021

The Jets will surely get creative in an effort to get both players on the field and will likely find unique ways to get the ball in Moore's hands with gadget plays and quick-hitters, given his ability to make big plays after the catch. 

It's a safe bet that Corey Davis and Crowder will see a lot of targets for the Jets. And given how rare it is for rookie wideouts to reach the WR1 or WR2 tiers in fantasy football, players like JaMarr Chase or DeVonta Smith seem like better bets to have a major impact than Moore. 

Rookie receiver plus a rookie quarterback more than likely does not equal elite fantasy production from Moore. Look for him to have a WR4 ceiling and likely a WR5 output. 

One of college football's most productive wide receivers last season will call New York home after the Jets selected Ole Miss' Elijah Moore with the 34th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The 21-year-old caught 86 passes for 1,198 yards and eight touchdowns in just eight games for the Rebels in 2020. He caught at least 10 passes for 92 yards in seven of those matchups.

The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native also finished first among all Division I-FBS pass-catchers in receiving yards per game.

Elijah Moore balled out last season, don't sleep 🙅‍♂️😴

Most Receiving Yards Per Game (FBS) - 2020

Elijah Moore - 149.1
DeVonta Smith - 142.8
Jaelon Darden - 132.2#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/m1wP7Ct1nS

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) April 18, 2021

Here's a look at how the depth chart shakes out with him.

     

Jets' Offensive Depth Chart

QB: Zach Wilson, James Morgan, Mike White

RB: Lamical Perine, Ty Johnson

WR: Corey Davis, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims, Elijah Moore

TE: Christopher Herndon, Ryan Griffin

LT: Mekhi Becton, Chuma Edoga

LG: Alijah Vera-Tucker, Cameron Clark

C: Connor McGovern, James Murray

RG: Alex Lewis/Greg Van Roten, Dan Feeney

RT: George Fant, Chuma Edoga

Depth chart info provided by Ourlads, Over the Cap and Connor Hughes of The Athletic.

     

He posted some other eye-popping stats, per Pro Football Focus:

Elijah Moore caught 97% of catchable targets beyond the line of scrimmage in 2020.

Best among all WRs in College Football. pic.twitter.com/gxpaw1okof

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 23, 2021

Elijah Moore didn't drop a single pass in the redzone at Ole Miss (25 targets) pic.twitter.com/TObtHyvUz1

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 17, 2021

The 5'9", 178-pound Moore shined at his March Pro Day too, running a 4.32-second 40-yard dash and posting a 36-inch vertical leap, per Nick Suss of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger.

Moore almost exclusively worked from the slot in college, as Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus noted. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and others noted that Moore may be a bit small to play slot on the next level, but the explosiveness can't be denied. Zierlein notably compared Moore to free-agent wideout and four-time first-team All-Pro Antonio Brown.

The B/R NFL Scouting Department ranked the first-team All-American 31st overall and fifth among wideouts on its final big board.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network put him 38th on his last board and wrote:

"Moore is an undersized wideout with outstanding versatility, quickness and toughness. He has experience lining up outside, in the slot and in the backfield. He has excellent quickness in his release and is clean/crisp at the top of routes. He gets a lot of quick hitters and he's very elusive after the catch. He also makes some huge plays over the top, tracking the ball naturally and showing reliable hands. He is effective when used as a runner out of the backfield, too. He hits the hole full-go and can make defenders miss. Overall, Moore lacks size, but he'll be a stud in the slot and can also help in the return game."

After a star-studded career, Moore now moves onto the NFL to play for the Jets in hopes of providing the same electricity and explosiveness that he did in Oxford, Mississippi.

Moore joins a Jets team that features Corey Davis and Denzel Mims as the outside receivers and Jamison Crowder working in the slot. He figures to be the next man up for playing time if anything happens to a player in the top trio.

Regardless, the Jets now have a deep wide receiver group to help rookie quarterback Zach Wilson as he transitions to the NFL. It's certainly possible Wilson and Moore connect at MetLife Stadium for a decade-plus.

HEIGHT: 5'9 ½"

WEIGHT: 178

  

POSITIVES

— Extremely productive in his final season. Ole Miss dialed up a lot of plays with the intent to get the ball in Moore’s hands and lined him up all over the formation.

— Very good hands and catching ability. Good body control and is comfortable extending to snatch throws while on the move. Has the hand-eye coordination to even consistently bring in one-handed catches.

— Good route runner with the ability to win inside and out. Will do little things like stack a CB after he wins on a vertical route. Shows very good footwork that’s clean and lets him get the proper depth on routes. Understands soft spots in zones and how to throttle down.

— Consistently shows good body control and play strength for his size. Can play through contact down the field and maintain his course.

— Tough and competitive player. Plays with an edge and more than willing to make a tough catch in traffic and over the middle.

— Ole Miss put a lot on his plate mentally, and he handled it well. Never seems to be playing slow because he does not know his assignment.

NEGATIVES

— Lack of size will always make him a question mark against bigger opponents and for durability. You appreciate his competitiveness, but he consistently gets knocked back by defenders when blocking.

— Inconsistent when dealing with press because of size and play strength. Aligned mostly from the slot in college.

— Just OK on creating yards after the catch, leaves you wanting more based on his size and playstyle. He is more of a one-speed guy with very good body control as opposed to having game-breaking speed.

  

2020 STATISTICS

8 G, 86 rec., 1,193 yards, 13.9 avg., 8 TD

   

OVERALL

Elijah Moore is an undersized WR who has more of a traditional skill set at the WR position. Moore primarily lined up in the slot at Ole Miss, but he was featured in the offense and asked to align in spots across the formation based on the play call. Although he had plenty of “gadget” plays designed just for him, Moore is a good route runner on all three levels and gets targets in the natural flow of a progression, and he will be able to contribute on Day 1 working from the slot in high-leverage situations like on third down.

Moore consistently plays with a competitive edge and toughness, he shows no fear working over the middle and is more than willing to extend for throws away from his body. Although it’s easy to love the heart he plays with, he is shorter and lacks bulk, which shows up in blocking and also versus press on the outside. There are concerns about how much play strength he can add on the outside and will need to work on refining his releases to be able to consistently contribute from an outside alignment at the NFL level.

Moore is a good overall athlete but lacks true game-breaking acceleration and twitch, and he is more of a smooth runner who plays with good contact balance and gets more steady yards that move the chains as opposed to putting points on the board. Overall, Moore will be able to contribute right away from the slot and has the upside of being a very good No. 2 option for a good NFL offense, with his path to greater success being dictated by his ability to win on the outside.

   

GRADE: 7.92/10 (2nd round)

OVERALL RANK: 31/300

POSITION RANK: WR5

PRO COMPARISON: Brandin Cooks

    

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice

The New York Jets beefed up their offensive line by selecting USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday.

The Jets moved up nine spots from No. 23 to No. 14 to grab the Minnesota Vikings' first-round selection. The details of the deal can be found here via Connor Hughes of The Athletic:

The #Jets traded No. 23, No. 66 and No. 86 for No. 14 and No. 143, sources tell @TheAthletic

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) April 30, 2021

Here's a look at how New York's depth chart shakes out with him in the mix.

   

Jets' Offensive Depth Chart

QB: Zach Wilson, James Morgan, Mike White

RB: La'Mical Perine, Ty Johnson

WR 1: Corey Davis

WR 2: Jamison Crowder

WR 3: Denzel Mims, Braxton Berrios

TE: Christopher Herndon, Ryan Griffin

LT: Mekhi Becton, Chuma Edoga

LG: Alijah Vera-Tucker, Cameron Clark

C: Connor McGovern, James Murray

RG: Alex Lewis, Greg Van Roten

RT: George Fant, Chuma Edoga

     

Depth chart info provided by Ourlads and Over the Cap. Projected offensive line starters via Hughes.

       

Vera-Tucker played offensive guard during the 2019 season before moving primarily to left tackle in 2020. The B/R NFL Scouting Department pegs him as an interior offensive lineman on the next level and listed 10th overall among all prospects. Drae Harris of the Draft Network sees him as an offensive guard.

NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who once oversaw the Dallas Cowboys' personnel department, is probably the highest on Vera-Tucker in the industry. He sees the former USC star as either a guard or tackle with "lots of upside for the future." Brandt ranks him sixth among all 2021 draft prospects.

Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network provided this analysis sum-up of the 21-year-old: "After initially announcing he would opt out of the 2020 season, Vera-Tucker returned to the field and had a brilliant campaign. He displays terrific footwork, strength as a run blocker, and the tenacity to start in the NFL, though I believe it will be at guard rather than tackle."

Even if most teams hypothetically see Vera-Tucker as a guard, his versatility makes him a prized prospect in this year's class, especially if his team encounters depth concerns due to injury.

New York clearly emphasized protecting new franchise quarterback Zach Wilson by moving up nine spots, and it's done just that by adding a potential cornerstone on the line for years to come.

Vera-Tucker should be a plug-and-play starter for the Jets, with Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network saying on the draft prospect that he should start at left guard.

HEIGHT: 6'4 ½"

WEIGHT: 308

POSITIVES

—Plays with excellent weight distribution as a pass protector and fluidly redirects to mirror rushers.

—More of a grabber than a puncher with the hand placement to quickly latch into the armpit of defenders to create leverage.

—Smoothly transitions and drops his hips to anchor with the posterior strength to stifle the bull rush.

—Gets his second step in the ground quickly to generate tremendous initial explosiveness as a run-blocker.

—Has the girth, grip strength and square power to move and steer defenders with ease.

—Takes good angles with refined movement skills when climbing to the second level to locate, track and fit on his target.

—Aggressive and physical finisher on a snap-to-snap basis.

   

NEGATIVES

—Range will be tested in his pass set when on an island at left tackle against top competition (ex: 2020 vs. Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux).

—Occasionally leans into angle-drive blocks rather than unlock his hips, causing his pads to rise and base to narrow.

—Could have better snap timing out of his stance on obvious passing downs.

   

2020 STATISTICS

—Seven starts at left tackle.

—First-team All-Pac 12 and winner of the Morris Trophy.

   

NOTES

—Thirty-two career games with 20 starts (13 at left guard, seven at left tackle).

—Born Solomon Alijah Tucker but started going by "Vera-Tucker" in high school to honor his stepdad's side of the family.

   

OVERALL

Vera-Tucker will turn 22 years old in June with only 20 games of starting experience under his belt split between two positions, yet he possesses a remarkably polished skill set with the size, play speed, competitive toughness and mental processing to make an instant impact inside at guard as a rookie with the ability to play tackle if need be.

He is light on his feet with tremendous stability and composure in space as a pass protector and run-blocker with the physicality, girth and power to fit in any scheme. He needs to clean up his technique and posture on angle-drive and gap double-teams but has the physical tools and refinement in the other parts of his game to be an immediate impact starter.

   

GRADE: 8.5/10 (1st Round)

OVERALL RANK: 13/300

POSITION RANK: IOL2

PRO COMPARISON: Joel Bitonio

   

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Zach Wilson is setting the highest bar possible for himself after the New York Jets selected him No. 2 overall out of BYU on Thursday. 

"I'm going to give it everything I have," Wilson said. "There's not another team I'd want to play for besides the Jets. We're going to be a special team. We're going for the Super Bowl."

𝙒𝙀 𝙂𝙊𝙏 𝙃𝙄𝙈.

Welcome to New York, @zachkapono1!! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/q9dWCaHcdd

— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 30, 2021

First hug of the night.

Zach Wilson 🤝 Roger Goodell pic.twitter.com/avxIWMuMck

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 30, 2021

Wilson: "This is exactly what I was hoping for" (via @ESPN). #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 30, 2021

The 21-year-old becomes the latest potential savior in New York after the Jets previously failed to find success with first-rounders Sam Darnold, Mark Sanchez and Chad Pennington. 

The Jets haven't been to the postseason since losing the AFC Championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 and haven't finished above .500 since going 10-6 in 2015. 

Wilson will look to fix both of those problems immediately.

The 6'2", 210-pound QB passed for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions with the Cougars last season while adding another 254 yards and 10 touchdowns on 70 rush attempts. Considering the Jets finished with the second-worst passing offense in 2020 (174.8 yards per game), even an incremental improvement would serve as a welcome development in New York. 

Wilson will certainly have plenty of help on that journey. Wideouts Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims have proven themselves as legitimate threats while left tackle Mekhi Becton and right tackle George Fant provide solid protection up front. 

The Jets haven't won the Super Bowl since Joe Namath led New York to a 16-7 victory over the then-Baltimore Colts in 1968. 

Wilson is ready to get to work on snapping that streak as soon as possible. 

 

The New York Jets traded away Sam Darnold with confidence that they would find their quarterback in the NFL draft. And they did just that, taking Brigham Young's Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick on Thursday.

Wilson is poised to assume the starting role immediately upon his arrival at the Meadowlands.

While the Jets did a fair amount of work to boost the offense this offseason, adding wideout Corey Davis and running back Tevin Coleman while also re-signing Josh Adams, Daniel Brown and Vyncint Smith as depth pieces, that's only half of the issue for any incoming quarterback.

Let's take a look at the defenses Wilson will have to counter with in his rookie season. Here's how their upcoming opponents fared defensively in 2020: 

Home Opponents

• Buffalo Bills: 352.5 YPD (14th), 23.4 PPG (16th)
• Miami Dolphins: 367.9 YPG (20th), 21.1 PPG (fifth)
• New England Patriots: 353.8 YPG (14th), 22.1 PPG (sixth)
• Jacksonville Jaguars: 417.7 YPG (31st), 30.8 PPG (31st)
• Tennessee Titans 398.3 YPG (28th), 27.4 PPG (23rd)
• New Orleans Saints: 310.9 YPG (fourth), 21.1 PPG (fifth)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 327.1 YPG (sixth), 22.2 PPG (eighth)
• Cincinnati Bengals: 389.2 YPG (26th), 26.5 PPG (22nd)
• Philadelphia Eagles: 363.1 YPG (19th), 26.1 PPG (20th)

Away Opponents

• Buffalo Bills: 352.5 YPD (14th), 23.4 PPG (16th)
• Miami Dolphins: 367.9 YPG (20th), 21.1 PPG (fifth)
• New England Patriots: 353.8 YPG (14th), 22.1 PPG (sixth)
• Houston Texans: 416.8 YPG (30th), 29.0 PPG (27th)
• Indianapolis Colts: 332.1 YPG (eighth), 22.6 PPG (10th)
• Denver Broncos: 367.9 YPG (20th), 27.9 PPG (25th)
• Atlanta Falcons: 398.4 YPG (29th), 25.9 PPG (19th)
• Carolina Panthers: 360.1 YPG (18th), 25.1 PPG (18th) 

Wilson is coming off of a major year in which he threw for 3,692 yards and 33 touchdowns with just three interceptions (a year after posting an 11-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio). While he's mobile, he's not considered a dual-threat quarterback by any means, having rushed for 254 yards—though he did get 10 touchdowns.

Still, he shouldn't be expected to be the team's saving grace when it comes to defenses that are strong defenders of the pass. That's a problem he could face against the New Orleans Saints, who had the league's fifth-best passing defense at 217.0 yards per game.

But for the most part, he should have an easy go of it against the league's worst passing defense in the Atlanta Falcons (293.6 yards per game).

The Falcons need to boost the roster just about everywhere, but there are glaring holes on the defense, where Erik Harris could be counted on at safety if need be. But the rest of the line needs some help, some of which may come over the weekend. 

They Jets will also fare well against the fourth-worst Titans and the sixth-worst Jaguars in the passing game.

As a consequence of playing in a (usually) tough AFC East, Wilson will face two tough defenses in the Miami Dolphins—who allowed lots of yardage but few points—and the New England Patriots, but he'll do so twice, so the familiarity aspect should help him. 

It's hard for the Jets to get much worse than they did in 2020. Wilson will face his fair share of challenges under center, but he should be able to use his skill to lead the Jets to more wins than his predecessor did.  

BYU star Zach Wilson became the second quarterback selected in the 2021 NFL draft, heading to the New York Jets with the No. 2 overall pick on Thursday.

Zach Wilson is going to the Big Apple 🍎

The Jets pick BYU’s Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick in the #NFLDraft @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/kQqt2F10Vk

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 30, 2021

The 21-year-old was one of the most prolific passers in college football last year as a junior, racking up 3,692 yards and 33 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

Wilson's performance during the 49-23 victory over UCF in the Boca Raton Bowl in December will have turned heads among college football fans. He passed for 425 yards with three touchdowns and no picks, good for 210.6 passer rating. 

Now he'll look to carve out his NFL career in New York. Here's how he stacks up on the depth chart:

QB: Zach Wilson*, James Morgan, Mike White

RB: Tevin Coleman, Lamical Perine, Ty Johnson

WR 1: Corey Davis

WR 2: Jamison Crowder

WR 3: Denzel Mims, Braxton Berrios

TE: Christopher Herndon, Ryan Griffin

LT: Mekhi Becton, Chuma Edoga

LG: Alex Lewis, Cameron Clark

C: Connor McGovern, James Murray

RG: Greg Van Roten, Dan Feeney

RT: George Fant, Chuma Edoga

   

Wilson rocketed up the mock draft boards after his stellar season. On Feb. 16, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah projecting he'd be the second overall pick behind Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 

Dane Brugler of The Athletic also had the Cougars star as the No. 2 quarterback on the board in February and ranked him as the No. 4 prospect in this year's class.

"Although scouts wish he was bigger and faced a tougher schedule, Wilson has the dynamic skill set that NFL teams covet," he wrote. "A naturally accurate passer, he has outstanding mobility with a whip for an arm to make off-platform throws look routine."

Wilson will now get a chance to prove those evaluators correct and take over a New York offense in need of a jolt. At 6'3, 210 pounds, he has the build of an NFL signal-caller. Now the Jets will find out if he has the skills to match. 

At some point in the NFL draft process, it became understood that Trevor Lawrence would go No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Zach Wilson would go No. 2 to the New York Jets. 

That came true Thursday, leaving fantasy players to wonder what type of impact Wilson might have as a rookie. 

Well, don't get your hopes up...at least not from a fantasy perspective in year one. 

Here's the list of rookie quarterbacks who finished top-10 in fantasy points at the position in the past five years: Dak Prescott (2016), Kyler Murray (2019) and Justin Herbert (2020). That's it. That's the list.

Now, maybe players like Deshaun Watson and Joe Burrow crack the list if they don't get injured. Maybe if Lamar Jackson is given the starting gig earlier in his rookie season he finishes top-10, too. Woulda coulda shoulda. The point here is that it's pretty darn rare. 

And whereas players like Lawrence and Justin Fields are accustomed to playing against top competition, Wilson played pretty soft opponents at BYU. Talent is talent, yes, but we haven't really seen him do it against many NFL-level players. 

So, yeah, draft Wilson like his upside is to be a QB2, unless you are in dynasty or keeper leagues. In that case, he holds more value. Regardless, don't expect major production in his first year. 

As for the Jets wideouts, it's a tough projection. Corey Davis had a strong 2020 season (65 receptions for 984 yards and five scores), but he's going from a veteran in Ryan Tannehill to an unproven rookie. He was in the flex-WR4 range last year, and it's hard to imagine he'll improve much upon that this year with Wilson. He's worth a look in the middle to late rounds. 

Jamison Crowder missed four games last year and caught 59 passes for 699 yards and six touchdowns. Going from Sam Darnold to Wilson should be an upgrade on Crowder, though considering him anything more than a WR4-5 is risky. He's not a sexy pick, but Crowder's steady play out of the slot makes him a nice option to have on your bench. 

Denzel Mims is worth keeping an eye on in the later rounds as a potential sleeper, but until he proves himself, he's not a player who needs to be started or perhaps even rostered early in the year.