Fernando Mendoza could be the next quarterback given the monumental task of turning things around for the New York Jets.
In his first mock draft of the season for ESPN.com, Jordan Reid is projecting Mendoza to the Jets with the No. 1 overall pick and Rueben Bain Jr. to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 2.
Jordan Reid Mock Draft Top 10 Picks
Full mock draft available on ESPN.com.
It seems almost certain that the Jets, the NFL’s lone remaining winless team (0-6), will address the quarterback position in the offseason. Justin Fields just turned in one of the worst games ever with minus-10 net passing yards in Sunday’s 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Mendoza is on the short list of Heisman candidates this season for an undefeated Indiana team that just went into Autzen Stadium and beat Oregon. He has thrown for 1,423 yards, 17 touchdowns and a 71.2 completion percentage in six games.
Beyond his statistical performance, Reid noted Mendoza is a “decisive pocket passer” whose “ability to throw precise, on-time passes suits a Jets offense that’s predicated on timing and accuracy.”
Assuming the Jets do end up taking a quarterback early in next year’s draft, it would mark the eighth time since 2000 that they have used a pick in the top two rounds on a signal-caller. Five of them will have been first-round selections.
The Ravens even being in the mix for the No. 2 overall pick is a shocking development, but Reid’s projection that they would add Bain does speak to their need for impact talent on defense.
“He’s a versatile 6-foot-3, 275-pound defender who can play multiple alignments, and his 24 pressures at edge is eighth in the FBS,” Reid wrote of Bain. “His hand power and knockback strength would immediately boost a Ravens defense that needs playmakers.”
Lamar Jackson’s hamstring injury has made things tough in Baltimore, but the defense was holding the team down even before the two-time MVP went down. The Ravens rank last in the NFL in points allowed per game, tied for 27th in sacks and tied for 29th in takeaways.
The Ravens haven’t ranked outside the top 20 in points allowed per game since 2015, which was also their worst season under John Harbaugh (5-11).
Bain currently has 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in five games for Miami. He had 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks as a true freshman in 2023. A hamstring injury limited him to just nine games last season, but he still recorded 5.5 tackles for loss.
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