NFL Draft Trade Proposal: Eagles Deal With Jets, Pick Malik Willis 10th Overall

In this first-round mock draft, the Jets trade the 10th overall selection to the Eagles, securing three draft picks in return.

If the Jets decide to trade the No. 10 overall pick this spring—a move that New York reportedly prefers—odds are New York will be fielding offers from a quarterback-needy team.

We've already explored a possible deal between the Steelers and Jets, a transaction that gives Pittsburgh an opportunity to draft a QB in the first round in exchange for a package including the No. 20 overall selection.

Now, let's take a look at a mock draft that has the Eagles trading up with the Jets to get their hands on arguably the best quarterback from the 2022 draft class.

NBC Sports Philadelphia recently published a new first-round mock draft, put together by Adam Hermann. With Pitt's Kenny Pickett and Ole Miss' Matt Corrall already off the board, Hermann proposed a trade where the Eagles jump ahead from the No. 15 selection to the 10th overall pick.

Here are all the picks from this first-round mock that involve the Jets, including analysis from the mock's creator. Then, we'll break this down a little bit further...

First-Round 2022 NFL Mock Draft (Via NBC Sports Philadelphia)

The New York Jets make a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of this 2022 mock draft.

Kyle Hamilton

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton breaks up pass
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

4. Jets: S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame

New York replaces the Jamal Adams-sized hole in their secondary with a cornerstone pick. Hamilton is the big-bodied, ballhawk-y type of playmaker you can build a secondary around, not just another piece in the unit. Think Brian Dawkins. In 31 career games with the Fighting Irish he notched eight interceptions, 16 passes defended, and 7.5 tackles for loss. That production is insane.

Malik Willis

Liberty QB Malik Willis drops back to pass in Senior Bowl
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

10. Eagles (via NYJ): QB Malik Willis, Liberty

TRADE ALERT! Eagles swap No. 15 for the Jets' No. 10 and give up their third-round pick this year and their 2023 sixth-round pick. Pretty similar to the Bears' trade up for Justin Fields last season.

And it's all in the name of figuring out the QB position.

Does this trade mean the Eagles have to get rid of Jalen Hurts? Not at all. Hurts showed last year he's a perfectly serviceable, replacement-level starting QB in the NFL. He can get you to the postseason, which not every quarterback can do. That's valuable! And Willis has a sky-high ceiling, but he's also a raw player and could probably do with sitting for a year, a la Trey Lance.

Treylon Burks

Arkansas WR Treylon Burks runs after catch
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

15. Jets (via PHI): WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas

I really like Burks as an alternate option for the Eagles. He's an impressive, big-bodied wide receiver who doesn't sacrifice speed for size - think Chargers wideout Mike Williams. He notched 67 catches for 1,123 yards and 11 TD this year, including 179 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama. He had TD catches of 91, 85, 66, and 52 yards this season, plus a 49-yard rushing TD. Zach Wilson needs weapons, and Burks is a weapon.


First off, Kyle Hamilton being picked by the Jets at No. 4 is nothing new. New York has been linked to the Notre Dame safety before this offseason. For a team that had the worst defense in the NFL in 2021, and could lose the leader of their secondary to free agency (Marcus Maye) this offseason, the best defensive back from this class would be a tremendous addition for Robert Saleh's squad.

Perhaps a safety this early in the first-round is a risk—especially with talented assets like OT Ikem Ekwonu, CB Derek Stingley Jr. and CB Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner still available—but Hamilton is viewed as a cant-miss prospect by many pundits. He addresses a need for the Jets right away. 

From there, New York is able to recoup some draft capital while taking advantage of a franchise eager to move up and snag a quarterback. The Jets secure a first-rounder in addition to a third-round pick and a sixth-rounder in next year's draft. That's a solid haul considering the Jets only moved back five slots and still came away with a top receiver (a player they might've picked at 10 regardless).

READ: Three Reasons Why the Jets Should Not Trade for Robby Anderson

Burks provides Zach Wilson with another talented target on offense. A wide receiver room with Burks, Elijah Moore and Corey Davis is the type of group that can elevate New York's signal-caller to the next level, or at least put him in a better position to succeed and lead this offense back to relevancy.

SCOUTING REPORT: Why the Jets Should Draft Treylon Burks

With the type of draft capital this team has, general manager Joe Douglas can go anywhere he wants with the rest of this draft. He can add a tight end, bolster the pass rush on defense, even strengthen the offensive line beginning with two early second-round picks. Factoring in a third-round selection from the Eagles in this proposed situation (Philadelphia would be giving the Jets the No. 83 pick), Gang Green would have two picks in each of the first five rounds. 

Connect on half of those picks and New York can take a huge step forward in 2022.

MORE:

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.


Published
Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.