Amid the NFL offseason, early February is an important time for NFL teams. Last week, every team spent the past week between Mobile, AL, and Dallas, Texas for the Senior Bowl and East & West Shrine Bowl games. It provides teams with a week of practices before the NFL combine and gain a better assessment of prospects. During this time, there will be opportunities for players to stand out, and one player took full advantage of it at the Senior Bowl.
With the seventh overall pick, the New York Jets will have options for addressing their needs. With that in mind, this edge rusher who lit up the Senior Bowl could be a great fit. While taking him top-ten is considered a reach, this defensive end could have a big impact on the defense.
Could This Senior Bowl Phenom Be a Fit for the Jets?
The New York Jets are ready for change. With the duo of head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, the Jets will look to change how they operate. Among their priorities, addressing the defensive line will be key. While they still have former All-Pro Quinnen Williams, he is only one man. Fortunately, even with a departing Haason Reddick, the Jets can still add to their young duo of Jermaine Johnson II and Will McDonald IV. In order for the Jets to regain their 2022-23 defensive form, Aaron Glenn will need a healthy rotation of defensive linemen to work with. With Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter gaining momentum as a top-three pick, New York must consider alternative routes. Thankfully, this Senior Bowl standout could be just that.
Is Marshall defensive end Mike Green worth a Top Ten pick?
In a week of tremendous athletes, few people separated themselves from the pack like defensive end Mike Green at the Senior Bowl. Before arriving in Mobile, Mike Green had a great 2024 season. During the season, the redshirt sophomore finished with a staggering 17 sacks and three forced fumbles. Such production earned him first-team All-Conference and All-American honors. Despite the quality of competition in the Sun Belt Conference being not great, the 6’4″/248 lbs defensive end did record a sack on reigning National Championship Game MVP Will Howard in the Ohio State game.
Green transferred to Marshall after originally committing to Virginia in 2021. Unfortunately, he was unable to play in 2022 and opted to transfer. In 2023, Green finished with 43 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. During his breakout season in 2024, Green displayed great speed and angle recognition to throw tackles off balance and get to the backfield. Although he’s not the strongest of defensive ends and lacks upper-body explosiveness, his relentless motor & active hands will cause offensive linemen problems. Teams might be turned off with only a single year as a starter, but the potential is undeniable. His Senior Bowl performance has elevated Mike Green into top 15 draft pick talks. Many mocks have him projected to be taken no later than the top 20. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers could all use an edge rusher like Green.
Why Mike Green fits with the Jets
As the Jets assess their roster going forward, Darren Mougey will need to address the defensive line somehow. Considering Haason Reddick is leaving and Jermaine Johnson returning from an Achilles tear, a rotation of defensive linemen will be huge. Especially as Aaron Glenn tries to fix the Jets run defense. In order to achieve this, a player of Mike Green’s abilities would be a benefit, even with the seventh overall pick.
Mike Green has the tools to be an elite pass rusher. But, he’s still a work in progress. Fortunately for him, the Jets have had a track record of developing defensive lines. By drafting Mike Green early, the Jets hope the Senior Bowl standout can spend this first season learning behind McDonald and Johnson as a pass rush specialist. Both men had limited exposure in their rookie seasons but became focal points in their second season. Jermaine Johnson went from barely playing as a rookie to the Pro Bowl in 2023. A successful sophomore campaign saw Will McDonald have 10.5 sacks this season.
The collaboration of Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks should lead to more creative ways to get in the backfield. Allowing a healthy rotation off of the edge between Green, Johnson, and McDonald will make life easier for Quinnen Williams too. Should the Jets draft Green in the top 10, they should be in great shape on defense going forward.
Main Photo: [Peter Casey] – USA Today Sports
