Will the New York Jets have interest in Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb in the NFL Draft?

The New York Jets are in a prime spot to select a top wide receiver or possibly trade back with a team that wants Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb.

The debate between the best wide receiver in the NFL Draft is a wide-open one, a discussion far more interesting as things heat-up with the first round just days away. The impact on the New York Jets might not be in which wide receiver – if any – that they pick in the first round. 

It might be what trade offers are there for a team that wants to move up in the first round and secure a blue chip wide receiver. 

Since January, Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy has held the edge as the first wide receiver taken in most mock drafts and the highest at his position in most mock drafts. But in recent weeks, CeeDee Lamb has made up ground and the Oklahoma wide receiver is now firmly in the discussion as being the first wide receiver taken. 

The Jets, sitting at No. 11 and in need of a wide receiver, could be the team to take the first offensive playmaker of this draft. It would address a major need as quarterback Sam Darnold has been without a truly explosive player for his first two years in the NFL. 

“Listen, my thing is this, when you look at the talent of Jerry Jeudy, he really jumps off the screen. Listen, Lamb in most other draft classes, would be the top draft prospect,” said SI’s gambling analyst Cory Parsons. 

“But Jeudy is a special, elite talent. I think the Las Vegas Raiders take Jeudy at 12. I think Lamb goes one spot later to the [San Francisco] 49ers at 13. My money is on Jerry Jeudy. Talent always wins at the end.” 

At the end of the day, it likely won’t be the Jets who take a wide receiver first or at all on Day 1. 

There are simply too many pressing needs for the Jets to go wide receiver in the first round, especially if taking a playmaker on offense means ignoring the major need at left tackle. A playmaker for Darnold is a nice thing, but it is wasted if the third-year quarterback is kissing the turf every other play because of the edge rush. 

At the end of the day, a team might well move ahead of the Jets to secure Jeudy or Lamb (such as the Cleveland Browns pick at No. 10). Or the Jets could become a trade partner and move back in the draft. 

This scenario could well play out should a team move up to take either Jeudy or Lamb. In that case, a team that covets either player might also want to move up and not miss out on the wide receiver bonanza in the top half of the first round.