Joe Douglas continued to focus on the offense Friday night, giving new quarterback Zach Wilson a playmaker to go along with the protector he got him Thursday.
The Jets selected Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore in the second round with the No. 34 overall pick. Douglas chose to add another piece to the offense despite glaring holes on defense at cornerback and linebacker. The Jets have now used their first three picks on offense and are not scheduled to have any more draft choices until the fourth round on Saturday.
Moore is an explosive receiver, who projects as a slot in the pros. He had a monster 2020 season with a school-record 86 catches for 1,193 yards in just eight games. He led all of college football in catches (10.8) and receiving yards (149.1) per game.
Douglas clearly is focused on building around Wilson after the Jets failed to do so with Sam Darnold. After taking the BYU quarterback No. 2 overall on Thursday, he traded up from 23 to 14 to take guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in the first round. Then, he added Moore with the No. 34 pick.
Moore was a three-year starter at Ole Miss. He was a weapon for coach Lane Kiffin both receiving the ball and running jet sweeps and gadget plays. Moore’s maturity was questioned after he simulated a dog peeing during a touchdown celebration in 2019 against Mississippi State. The penalty he received cost the Rebels the game.
The selection of Moore calls into question Jamison Crowder’s future with the team. Crowder is carrying a $10 million salary cap charge and has no more guaranteed money left in his deal. The Jets’ top wide receivers currently are Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Moore, Keelan Cole and Crowder. If the Jets want Moore to play immediately, that could lead to Crowder’s release.
The Jets traded away both of their third-round picks in the deal to get Vera-Tucker and have no more selections on Friday. They are scheduled to have six picks on Saturday – two in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds.
This post first appeared on Nypost.com
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