Mock drafts see Jets, Giants taking playmakers
Handlogten returns to cheer on Gators after breaking leg
As an eventful NFL free agency cools down, mock draft season is just heating up.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah published the third editions of their mock drafts Tuesday, and both project the Giants and Jets to select game-breaking playmakers — including one through a surprise trade.
Kiper envisions Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze going to the Giants at No. 6 and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers landing with the Jets at No. 10, just as he did in last month’s mock.
“(The Giants) don’t have a true No. 1 guy who can dominate on the outside. They could add that in Odunze, a touchdown machine in a 6-foot-3 frame,” Kiper wrote.
“There have been rumblings about New York being a team to watch for the quarterbacks, but I just don’t see it. The team is committed to Daniel Jones for at least one more season because of the extension he signed last year, and I think this is too high to take JJ McCarthy.”
Kiper’s mock predicts the top three picks will be quarterbacks, with the Bears drafting USC’s Caleb Williams, the Commanders taking LSU’s Jayden Daniels and the Patriots selecting UNC’s Drake Maye.
He then mocked Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Cardinals at No. 4 and LSU receiver Malik Nabers to the Chargers at No. 5.
His mock did not include trades.
With the Jets retooling their offensive line with the freeagent signings of left tackle Tyron Smith and left guard John Simpson, along with a trade for right tackle Morgan Moses, Kiper gave Aaron Rodgers an elite target in the 6-4, 240-pound Bowers.
“The Jets have to maximize their window with 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers,” Kiper wrote. “That’s what I keep coming back to. So after they were able to sign left tackle Tyron Smith to a one-year deal, who’s the player they could take here to make the most immediate impact? For me, it’s Bowers, a tremendous pass-catching tight end who could elevate the offense and provide a safety blanket for Rodgers.”
Unlike Kiper, Jeremiah included trades in his mock — and some big ones.
He projected the first four picks to be quarterbacks, with Chicago drafting Williams, Washington taking Maye, New England selecting Daniels and Minnesota trading up to No. 4 for Michigan’s McCarthy.
Jeremiah then has the Jets moving up to No. 5 to select Harrison, who delivered backto-back seasons with 14 touchdowns and more than 1,200 receiving yards.
“The Jets are all-in with a veteran quarterback and they recently acquired two offensive tackles to shore up the O-line,” Jeremiah wrote. “They desperately need another playmaker to complement Garrett Wilson, so they trade up to select Harrison, the top receiver in the draft and Wilson’s former Ohio State teammate.”
The Giants then take Nabers at No. 6 in Jeremiah’s mock.
Florida center Micah Handlogten, who gruesomely broke his left leg two minutes into the Southeastern Conference championship game on Sunday, will be on hand to watch the Gators in the NCAA Tournament.
Already using crutches while recovering from surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Handlogten will make the fourhour ride from Nashville to Indianapolis with his parents to watch the seventh-seeded Gators play either Boise State or Colorado on Friday in the opening round of the tournament.
Handlogten’s presence is sure to provide an emotional lift for the Gators (24-11), who are returning to the NCAA tourney for the first time in three years. It’s the program’s first appearance under second-year coach Todd Golden.
DONOVAN OUT ANOTHER WEEK
Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell could miss at least another week after breaking his nose in Cleveland’s loss at Houston last weekend.
Mitchell, who has also been dealing with a bruised left knee, got hurt in Saturday’s game against the Rockets when teammate Tristan Thompson accidentally bashed him while going after a loose ball.
The Cavs said Tuesday that Mitchell underwent a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic to realign his nose. He’ll be reevaluated “in approximately one week.”
Mitchell sat out Monday night’s win at Indiana due to the nose and to rest his left knee, which has kept him out of at least seven games since the All-Star break. The Cavs listed him as out with the nasal issue against the Pacers, but Mitchell said Saturday he needed time to get his knee right.
CFP, ESPN ANNOUNCE $7.8B DEAL
The College Football Playoff and ESPN announced a $7.8 billion deal Tuesday that will give the network exclusive rights to the expanded postseason through the 2031 season, with the national championship game moving to ABC starting in 2026.
Financial terms were not announced, but as previously reported the new six-year agreement will pay the CFP and participating conferences $1.3 billion annually.
An agreement in principle between the CFP and ESPN was reached weeks ago, but first the college conferences that participate in the playoff had to sign a deal to continue their partnership for another six years. That agreement and a new revenue-sharing plan was finalized last week.