The New York Jets have secured the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft following their 23-16 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon, per NFL Update.
Following an 0-13 start, the Jets turned up the heat on both sides of the ball in their last two games against the Los Angeles Rams and Browns. Still, Jets fans held onto hope that the Jacksonville Jaguars would beat the Chicago Bears or Indianapolis Colts, giving the Jets the No. 1 overall pick. Now, with Jacksonville’s 41-17 loss to Chicago, they have clinched the first pick.
The Browns had a chance late in the game to tie it at 23 apiece, but on fourth and one, Baker Mayfield attempted a quarterback sneak and fumbled the ball with 1:25 left. Running back Kareem Hunt recovered the ball and moved forward, which is not allowed with less than two minutes in the game. The play resulted in the Browns turning the ball over on downs and the Jets were able to run out the clock and hold on to win.
Now, New York will pick second in the draft for the first time since 1990, when they picked Blair Thomas over future Hall of Famers Junior Seau, Cortez Kennedy, and Emmitt Smith, per ESPN writer Rich Cimini.
What the Jets will do with the pick is still up in the air, with players like Justin Fields (Ohio State, quarterback), DeVonta Smith (Alabama, running back), Kyle Pitts (Florida, tight end), and Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech, corner back) all high on many mock draft boards.
(Photo: Bleacher Report)
