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With the draft less than a month away, the Jets have yet to adequately address every need. It's widely considered that their biggest needs are at edge rusher, cornerback, and center. In each case, the Jets re-signed a free agent from last year's team, but would surely hope to be able to find a better long-term option than Brandon Copeland, Darryl Roberts and Jonotthan Harrison.

Let's identify some potential candidates they could target to fill these needs with their first three picks in next month's NFL Draft...

First Pick

Edge: Nick Bosa, Ohio State

If Bosa doesn't get taken with either of the first two picks, the Jets would have to be tempted to take him despite their desire to trade down for more draft capital. Bosa has some durability concerns and only played in three games last year, although he racked up four sacks. His success comes from his flawless pass rushing technique, which gives him a chance to be productive as soon as he enters the league.

If Bosa is off the board by the time the Jets pick, Kentucky's Josh Allen could be a possibility instead.

Cornerback: Greedy Williams, LSU

No cornerback in this draft is worthy of the third pick, but if the Jets trade back, they might find themselves in position to draft Williams, who is regarded by many as the top cornerback prospect. Williams only allowed a 40 percent catch rate last season and ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine. With eight interceptions in two years, the Jets could target another LSU defensive back to start as a rookie.

Center: Garrett Bradbury, North Carolina State

After a dazzling display at the combine, Bradbury is widely regarded as the top center prospect and could be an option in the mid-to-late first if the Jets move back. His athleticism and ability to block on the move are the kind of attributes an offense can build its running game around.

Second Pick

Edge: Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion

The Jets' second pick is early in the third round at 68, and Ximines is a player who could still be available there. He's a talented pass rusher who improved his sack total in each of his four full seasons at Old Dominion, highlighted by a career-high of 11.5 in his senior year.

Ximines may be raw and hasn't played much against top competition, but he could provide a boost as a situational rusher in the early going.

Cornerback: Julian Love, Notre Dame

Love is a player who looks smooth and fluid on film and possesses excellent ball skills. In 2018, he gave up just one touchdown in coverage despite being targeted more than most of the top prospects and was only penalized twice. He also showed his playmaking abilities with two pick-sixes in 2017.

Center: Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi State

Jenkins is another center experts believe could come in and start as a rookie. He's bigger than Bradbury, which could appeal to Adam Gase, who likes his interior linemen to be strong at the point of attack so the quarterback has clean pockets to throw from. Jenkins might not fall to 68, but if the Jets can pick up a second rounder by moving down, they would have a chance to ensure they get him.

Third Pick

Edge: Christian Miller, Alabama

Miller, who has good length and athleticism, broke out with eight sacks last year. That's a number made all the more impressive by the fact that he played less than 500 snaps because he was employed in a rotation with so many other talented players in Alabama's front seven. If he could be similarly productive in a situational role, perhaps he can develop into a future starter.

Cornerback: Justin Layne, Michigan State

Layne's size and length will appeal to teams and he's a good athlete. However, he also put together some good coverage numbers last year as he gave up less than five yards per target despite being thrown at even more than Love was.

Center: Connor McGovern, Penn State

McGovern is a center prospect that some people have overlooked because he mostly played guard last year. However, he started every game at center in 2017, and did a solid all-round job. Like Jenkins, McGovern has good size so could be a good fit for what Gase might be looking for.

Conclusions

If the Jets can come away with some combination of the players identified, that will be an optimal use of their resources. And if those players pan out, then perhaps these can be positions they won't need to worry about for the next few years.

Otherwise, they'll be left to rely on a potential upgrade shaking loose after the draft.

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