To fans and experts alike, Jets GM Joe Douglas had a great first draft, as he filled numerous holes on his roster and did so with some steals as well. For QB Sam Darnold, he's particularly excited about Douglas' first two choices.
The first is Louisville's Mekhi Becton, the massive tackle that dazzled at the NFL Scouting Combine and fell to the Jets at No. 11 overall. Becton said he and Douglas had a conversation about their Richmond roots, and had a feeling if he fell to them, he would be taken.
Given Douglas' mission to revamp the offensive line to help Darnold, Becton was an obvious choice when he was on the board, and Darnold said on Tuesday during a conference call with the New York media that he can't wait to stand behind him.
"Becton's a freak athlete and a large human," Darnold said, "so I'm very excited to have him on our team."
While watching the draft, Darnold caught the celebration Becton had with his family, which included his father who is almost has big as him (Becton is 6-7, 364 pounds). He quickly became the conversation of fans on social media who wanted him on the team, too.
"I know the media was blowing up because everyone wanted to see his dad play defensive tackle for us, too," Darnold said laughing.
Video: Jets QB Sam Darnold excited to play with Mekhi Becton
Other than Becton, Douglas brought in George Fant, Connor McGovern and Greg Van Roten to beef up the line's play. He also re-signed Alex Lewis, whom he traded for last season. That should be the starting five in front of Darnold, and hopefully he can stay more upright and not scramble as much because of the changes.
Then, there's the Jets' second-round pick, one viewed by many as a big steal. Douglas managed to trade down and still get one of the best receivers in the draft in Baylor's Denzel Mims.
Mims' draft stock fell for some reason, but to the benefit of the Jets who still needed a wide receiver badly. Breshad Perriman and Jamison Crowder were the only reliable ones on the depth chart, and with such a deep talent pool in this year's class at the position, everyone knew after getting his left tackle of the future, Douglas was going to go receiver.
Whether or not Mims will eventually develop into Darnold's No. 1 option, like Robby Anderson looked to be before he chose the Panthers in free agency, is still unknown. However, Darnold likes what he's seen on tape so far.
"Denzel, watching his highlights and watching his plays that he made last year for Baylor, he's a great playmaker," Darnold said. "He's got a lot of potential and we're excited to have him."
These two draftees are crucial for the Jets to be successful this season, as they'll likely be thrown right into starting roles once training camp breaks. The hope is Becton and Mims will be two key cogs that can mesh well with Darnold, and develop into vital pieces of the Jets' future.