Draft Grades: New York Jets Go For Volume With Fifth-Round Picks

All of the moves the New York Jets made left them with three picks toward the end of Saturday’s fifth round of the NFL draft.

Mar 1, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets put together a haul at the end of the fifth round of Saturday’s NFL draft, as they selected three players in the final six picks — including a current professional football player.

The Jets ended up with a quarterback, selecting Florida State’s Jordan Travis at No. 171 overall. Two picks later, at No. 173, the Jets selected South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis. Then, to finish off the fifth round at No. 176, the Jets selected cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers, who played with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts last year.

QB Jordan Travis

The Jets packaged a pair of sixth-round picks (Nos. 185 and 190) to obtain Philadelphia’s 171st pick to select the former Seminoles star.

Travis suffered a season-ending injury late last season that may have prevented FSU from getting a berth in the College Football Playoff, in spite of an undefeated regular season and ACC Championship Game victory.

He played in six college seasons but went 21-3 in his last two seasons with Florida State and is the only FSU quarterback in history to throw more than 50 touchdowns and rush for at least 12 touchdowns.

He’ll be a much different quarterback than Aaron Rodgers. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who excels at making off-schedule throws but has gotten good marks from scouts for his improvement as a pocket passer.

His injury — a fracture and dislocation of his left ankle — bears monitoring. Given the player he was before the injury, if Travis recovers and recaptures that ability, he makes for an intriguing developmental pick.

Grade: C+

RB Isaiah Davis

The Jets acquired this pick, along with No. 176, on Saturday when they traded out of the No. 129 pick with San Francisco.

Davis (6-2, 218) was highly productive as he led the Jackrabbits to back-to-back FCS national titles. He rushed for 4,548 career yards and 50 touchdowns but gained 3,029 of those yards in his last two seasons. He was an FCS All-American. He’s also a deceptively good pass-catcher.

He’s built much like starter Breece Hall (6-1, 220) and has similar traits running the ball. Braelon Allen, selected in the fourth round, is 6-2, 245. This feels like a “best available player” pick and, with what the Jets already have, it’s hard to see Davis getting a lot of playing time early.

But, given his production, it’s not a wasted pick. But it will be an uphill climb to make the team.

Grade: C

CB Qwan'tez Stiggers

The Jets’ first defensive player of the draft is already a professional, as he played last season with the Toronto Argonauts and was the CFL Rookie of the Year. Stiggers (5-11, 203) tied for the CFL lead with five interceptions and made 56 tackles.

So how did he end up in Canada? He played high school football at B.E.S.T. Academy in Atlanta, started a college career at Lane College in Tennessee but unenrolled after losing his father. He sat out football entirely in 2021 and resurfaced in 2022 in the Fan Controlled Football League before migrating to Canada.

Even for the fifth round, this is a risky pick. ESPN had him as the No. 36 cornerback on the board. He played no college football and has just one year of pro football under his belt. There were plenty of college-experienced corners available. He may grow into something, but it’s hard to see him making an impact until 2025 at the earliest.

Grade: D+