New York Jets Shockingly Land Offensive Playmaker in Newest Mini Mock Draft

The New York Jets are a team that everyone is going to be keeping a close eye on once the NFL offseason rolls around.

First and foremost, they are one of the franchises who will be looking for a new regime to fun the football side of things. 

Head coach Robert Saleh was fired after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and general manager Joe Douglas met the same fate after a Week 11 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Once they fill those roles, discussions about how to fix the roster and end their ineptitude on the field will begin.

The 2025 NFL Draft will be an intriguing one for the Jets, as they can go in a number of different ways. Until the new regime is in place, it will be tough to pinpoint where they will look, but there have been some leaks about he direction they might head in.

A quarterback will not be off the table, even if Aaron Rodgers does return to the team in 2025. Edge rushers have been popular in mock drafts as well.

In a recent mini mock draft including only the top 10 picks, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic has them going in an unexpected direction. With the No. 8 overall pick, New York comes away with Arizona Wildcats star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

“Pretty much everything feels on the table for the Jets right now, no matter where this pick lands in the top 10. So much of the approach is going to depend on the coach and GM hires, and on what the franchise wants to do with Aaron Rodgers,” he wrote. “The Jets don’t have to draft a QB this year either way, though they might. Building out the rest of the roster for a year with a veteran free agent before gearing up for what could be a very talented 2026 QB class might be the move.”

That is certainly a selection that would raise some eyebrows, especially if Davante Adams is retained along with Garrett Wilson. As long as those two are on the roster, wide receiver isn’t a pressing need for the franchise, especially after using a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Malachi Corley.

McMillan has everything you want in a No. 1 receiver when it comes to size, route-running and skill. He would undoubtedly help whoever is under center for the team in 2025 and beyond, but it would certainly be a surprise for a new regime to use a top-10 pick on a wide receiver with so much uncertainty elsewhere.

Of course, an exercise like this is difficult when you don’t know who will be making the decision for the franchise. Or, how the roster will look; if Adams is moved on from or Wilson is traded instead of getting an extension, McMillan would make sense and could step into a prominent role.

That is what makes New York such a polarizing team once the new league year begins. They can go in a number of different directions as the roster needs a lot of work to help the franchise get on track.