Jets 7-round 2025 mock draft: Tyler Warren or Armand Membou in Round 1?

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The first draft of the Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey era is almost here. They are two of the bigger mysteries going into Thursday night, even if the consensus has moved toward them taking one of two prospects in Round 1: Penn State tight end Tyler Warren or Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou.

Nobody actually knows — and won’t know until Thursday night — if that’s just smoke, though both players make a lot of sense based on what the Jets need.

The possibility that Shedeur Sanders falls to No. 7 and a team like the Saints is tempted to move up can’t be ruled out; that would change the equation, though not significantly since the Jets would only be dropping two spots. One thing seems obvious, though: The Jets have a significant need for upgrades on offense if they truly want to build around Justin Fields. Their personnel, as it stands right now, won’t cut it.

So with that, here’s our final Jets mock draft — all seven rounds, with help from Pro Football Focus’ trusty draft simulator.

Round 1, Pick No. 7: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

It was, of course, between Membou and Warren — in this simulation, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham went No. 5 to the Jaguars — though I’m not 100 percent convinced Membou will actually make it to No. 7. I don’t think the Jets can really go wrong between Warren and Membou if both are on the board, I just think Warren can and will be more immediately impactful for a team desperate for an upgrade at pass-catcher, and he’s a whole lot more than that because of his skills as a blocker too. Warren has a faster path to becoming one of the 10 best players at his position, and he’d become an immediate safety valve for Fields.

The argument against Warren is mostly tied to the fact that, financially, there’s more value in drafting a premium position and having that player under team control and on a rookie contract — Membou is the one at a premium position. But if Warren is a premium player, which I think he will be, that’s not as big of a deal. His projected cap hits for the first four years of his contract, per Over the Cap, would be: $5.8 million, $7.2 million, $8.7 million and $10.15 million.

Warren is a legitimate moveable weapon — Penn State even used him on some Wildcat runs, where he averaged 8.4 yards per carry on 26 attempts. He’d immediately slot in as the No. 2 option in the passing game behind Garrett Wilson.

Round 2, Pick No. 42: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State

It wouldn’t be surprising if Higgins snuck into the first round, but if he’s there at No. 42 it would be great value for a Jets team with a wide receiver room lacking for talent outside of Wilson. As of now, their No. 2 receiver would be either Josh Reynolds or Allen Lazard, with Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson and Tyler Johnson competing for playing time. Higgins would come in right away as the No. 2 wide receiver, continuing the Jets’ recent pipeline of notable Iowa State alumni (Lazard, Will McDonald, Breece Hall).

Higgins has great size (6-4, 214 pounds), length (80-inch wingspan) and athleticism (4.47 40, 39-inch vertical) and improved each year with the Cyclones. He scored 25 touchdowns combined over the last three years and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote that his tape at Iowa State looks similar to Nico Collins’ at Michigan. Most impressively: Higgins rarely misses on throws down the field, with zero drops on 117 targets thrown 10 or more yards in the air. He also can line up at any receiver position, valuable versatility that makes him a good fit in offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s system.

Round 3, Pick No. 73: Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona

The Jets might feel tempted to draft an offensive tackle in the second round if they miss out or pass on Membou, and they can still draft a starting-caliber offensive tackle in the third. Savaiinaea has the added benefit of experience at both tackle spots and right guard, which is valuable since the Jets have a hole at right tackle and both of their starting guards will be free agents after 2025. Savaiinaea can compete with Chukwuma Okorafor and Carter Warren for the starting right tackle spot in training camp.

Savaiinaea has a massive frame, long arms and solid athleticism. He rarely gets flagged (one holding penalty in 2024) and is lauded for his pass-blocking technique.

Round 4, Pick No. 110: Billy Bowman, S, Oklahoma

The Jets need at least one safety in this draft, and maybe even two. Free agent signee Andre Cisco is on a one-year deal and it’s unclear as of yet how the new staff views Tony Adams, who signed his restricted free-agent tender. In Glenn’s time with the Lions, Detroit drafted two safeties early (Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch) and they became two of the best playmakers at the position in the NFL — something the Jets have lacked in the secondary the last couple of years.

Bowman is undersized (5-10, 192) but Brugler has him ranked as the fifth-best safety in this class, describing his strength as “disruptive versatility.” He can line up everywhere and was a true playmaker at Oklahoma; Bowman had 11 interceptions over the last three years, including six in 2023, while returning three interceptions and one fumble for touchdowns.

Round 5, Pick No. 145: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, edge, Georgia

It’s generally good practice to draft defensive linemen from Georgia (just ask the Eagles). Ingram-Dawkins is a projection since he was more of a rotational player for the Bulldogs, but he showed flashes throughout his time at Georgia and has intriguing versatility — he can play inside and outside. He has an impressive size/athleticism combination at 6-5, 276 with solid testing numbers across the board (his 4.34-second short shuttle was third best among all D-line and edge prospects at the NFL Combine). PFF wrote in its evaluation that Ingram-Dawkins’ “blend of size, explosiveness, and strength — paired with above-average length — gives him the traits of a rotational defensive end who can shoot gaps and disrupt plays.”

Round 5, Pick No. 162: R.J. Mickens, S, Clemson

I have the Jets double-dipping at safety for the reasons mentioned above. Mickens is a popular pick in most Jets mock drafts for an obvious reason: He’s the son of Ray Mickens, who Glenn played with when both were standout defensive backs for the Jets. But R.J. Mickens deserves to be drafted on his own merit.

He is a smart player who sees the field well and is a sure tackler — again, something the Jets have been missing at safety. He answered some questions about his athleticism at the combine (4.49 40, 41-inch vertical). His strengths, per Brugler, also include his ability to match up with tight ends, run-game support and his contributions to special-teams coverage, imperative for someone who would be at least a backup as a rookie.

Round 6, Pick No. 186: Jared Harrison-Hunte, DT, SMU

It would not be surprising if the Jets drafted a defensive tackle much sooner than this — Graham is a legitimate possibility in Round 1 if he falls to No. 7, and there are plenty of prospects worth considering in Rounds 2 or 3 — but offense needs to be a greater priority and so that’s where the focus was for this mock.

Harrison-Hunte, though, would be a nice value find in the sixth round and he’d bring a different skill set than the group of veteran defensive tackles the Jets signed to support Quinnen Williams this offseason (Derrick Nnadi, Byron Cowart, Jay Tufele). Harrison-Hunte is on the older side (he’ll be 25 as a rookie) but he had 8.5 sacks for SMU last year and Brugler wrote that “he is explosive, active and promising in enough areas on the field to earn a rotational role.”

Round 6, Pick No. 207: Joshua Gray, OL, Oregon State

The Jets could stand to add some developmental depth on the interior of their offensive line and Gray has the versatility to play both guard spots and center. Brugler wrote that Gray is a “fluid big man with the mobility that can be weaponized in a zone-blocking scheme.” Gray only allowed one sack in 446 pass-blocking snaps last year.

(Photo of Tyler Warren: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)

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