NFL Draft Trade Proposal: Steelers Acquire No. 10 Pick From Jets, Select Sam Howell

In this mock draft full of trades, the Jets receive the 20th overall pick and a third-rounder from Pittsburgh as the Steelers trade up to draft their new franchise quarterback.

Max Goodman | Feb 15, 2022

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New York Jets

Rumors have been swirling this offseason about the Jets possibly trading out of the No. 10 overall pick.

Now, in mock draft form, we get to see what that situation would look like.

Chad Reuter of NFL Network has both five trades and five quarterbacks selected in the first round of his latest mock draft.

That flurry of activity begins with the No. 3 overall pick, as Carolina trades up with Houston to draft Liberty's Malik Willis. Just a few selections later, after picking Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton fourth overall, the Jets get involved in this trade-filled frenzy.

Reuter has New York trading the 10th overall selection to the Steelers in exchange for pick No. 20 and a third-rounder. That allows Pittsburgh to leapfrog some other quarterback-needy teams and select a replacement for Ben Roethlisberger.

Sounds hectic, right? Well, it just so happens that Reuter has New York involved in two additional trades before the end of the second round as well.

That said, let's walk through each selection involving the Jets from this mock with Reuter's analysis (and our own commentary):

Three-Round 2022 NFL Mock Draft (Via NFL Network)

The New York Jets make several trades and address multiple weaknesses in this three-round mock draft from Chad Reuter of NFL Network.

Kyle Hamilton

4. New York Jets: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

Hamilton missed the final six games of last season due to a knee injury, but that shouldn't be an issue as long as his medical exams check out. The former Irish star's height, agility and ball skills remind me of the Bengals' Jessie Bates. — Reuter

This isn't the first time we've seen the Jets take Hamilton fourth overall and it certainly won't be the last. Even if the No. 4 overall selection is high for a safety, Hamilton brings more to the table than most that play the position.

Hamilton can be an immediate upgrade for head coach Robert Saleh and the worst defense in the NFL, a versatile asset that has plenty of upside at the next level.

Sam Howell

PROJECTED TRADE WITH JETS

10. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is stepping down after the draft. I suspect he'll make his best effort to acquire the team's future starting QB before he departs. Trading up for Howell would cost the Steelers their 2023 first-round pick and one of their third-rounders this year. Howell's production was down in 2021, but he showed the same leadership, arm strength and gumption during the Senior Bowl that was on display over the past three years at North Carolina.

The Jets move back 10 spots and add to their draft capital while the Steelers draft a quarterback. Seems to benefit both sides, at least on paper...

After missing out on both Willis and Pitt's Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh moves forward with Howell, the third quarterback selected in this year's draft. Reuter has Pickett coming off the board just one selection before this trade, heading to the Denver Broncos at No. 9 overall.

The quarterback onslaught doesn't stop here either. Matt Corral of Ole Miss is selected by Washington with the next pick at No. 11.

Drake London

PROJECTED TRADE WITH STEELERS

20. New York Jets: Drake London, WR, USC

London's ankle injury won't dissuade teams from picking him early in the draft. Last year's second-round pick, Eljiah Moore, could do a lot of damage in the slot with the tall, agile London and a healthy Corey Davis on the outside for the Jets.

In this scenario, New York is still able to draft a top-ranked wide receiver even after trading back.

Many view London as a top-10 prospect, possibly the first wideout selected in 2022. Reuter has Arkansas' Treylon Burks going to Cleveland at No. 13, making London the WR2 of this class, picked before Jameson Williams, Garrett Wilson and more.

London only played in eight games this past season before suffering a season-ending injury. In those eight contests, the wideout flashed his next-level potential, racking up 88 receptions, 1,084 receiving yards and seven scores.

You have to figure Jets quarterback Zach Wilson would be pleased if New York adds another weapon for him to throw the football to...

DRAKE LONDON

CERTIFIED LEAPER BOY

@USC_FB pic.twitter.com/btEeOE9I8S
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 18, 2021

Drake Jackson

PROJECTED TRADE WITH DOLPHINS

29. New York Jets: Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC

Jackson's length and bend off the edge will intrigue NFL scouts, and the Jets will be looking for a pass rusher if they select Hamilton with their top pick. The trade-up costs general manager Joe Douglas the fourth-round pick his team received from the Panthers in the Sam Darnold deal.

General manager Joe Douglas trades up with the Dolphins to add a third first-round pick. After all, it was only a matter of time until New York addressed their pass rush in this mock draft.

Over three years at USC, Drake Jackson had 103 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. He's ranked as the sixth-best edge rusher in the 2022 class by Pro Football Focus and the No. 29 prospect on PFF's big board.

Drake Jackson is a monster pic.twitter.com/eOstZYBIGm
— Kaelen Jones (@kaelenjones) September 18, 2021

This way, even if New York doesn't snag one of the top options on the edge—like Kayvon Thibodeaux or George Karlaftis—they're still coming out of the first round with a top pass rusher, using their draft capital to add even more young talent to this rebuilding roster.

Trey McBride

PROJECTED TRADE WITH JETS

36. New York Giants: Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State

Here comes the third trade New York is involved in so far in this mock, one that will likely have some fans scratching their heads.

The Jets trade back from the No. 36 pick, allowing the Giants to reel in one of the best tight end prospects from this year's class, Trey McBride.

Reuter doesn't specify the return for this trade, so there's no way to know exactly what the Jets are getting in return. You'll see later on that the Jets do end up picking a tight end within the first three rounds of this draft, but McBride made a lot of sense for Gang Green.

READ: Jets Could Target Trey McBride in NFL Draft After Working With Tight End at Senior Bowl

Roger McCreary

38. New York Jets: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn

New York addresses another need with their first pick in the second round, taking Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary.

McCreary had a career year at Auburn in 2021, defending 14 passes, hauling in two interceptions and making 49 tackles over 12 games. PFF ranks McCreary as the fourth-best corner in this class—ahead of Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner—and their No. 19 prospect overall.

Roger McCreary: 25 forced incompletions since 2020

Most in College Football❌ pic.twitter.com/YWebDyj0R2
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 6, 2022

Sean Rhyan

69. New York Jets: Sean Rhyan, OG, UCLA

Finally, some help on the offensive line.

The Jets pick UCLA's Sean Rhyan here to kick off their activity in the third round. Rhyan played tackle in college, but could help the Jets at right guard, playing across from left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, another offensive lineman from the Pac-12.

Even if the Jets wait until Round 3 for a lineman in this mock, Douglas is notorious for building through the offensive line. Don't be surprised if New York targets a top tackle early on in the first, considering the uncertain future of left tackle Mekhi Becton.

READ: Evaluating Each Player From the New York Jets' 2020 NFL Draft Class

Charlie Kolar

84. New York Jets: Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State

Using the third-round pick acquired from the Steelers in their first-round trade, Reuter has the Jets taking a tight end.

Charlie Kolar played four years at Iowa State, totaling 2,181 receiving yards, 168 catches and 23 touchdowns.

Charlie Kolar: Preseason All-American TE1 💪

Grown man.

(via @cyyork)pic.twitter.com/lcm4rHg85U
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 28, 2021

At this point, pretty much anything is better than the production New York has gotten from their tight end room these last few years. Again, it's curious the Jets would forfeit an opportunity to pick someone like McBride early in the second round, but maybe New York focuses on this position in free agency, devoting a significant portion of their cap space to a top-tier asset.

Then again, New York did get a chance to work with Kolar at the Senior Bowl in addition to McBride. Perhaps they view Kolar as a prospect with similar upside to the rest of the top tight ends in this class, making this an even better pick in the third.

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Published Feb 15, 2022

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.