New York Jets rookies Mekhi Becton, Braden Mann lead Pro Bowl voting

Mekhi Becton and Braden Mann are leading the way in Pro Bowl voting and making the 2020 New York Jets draft class look fantastic.

The New York Jets might be the only winless team left in the NFL, but the rookie class is showing out in a big way. In the early Pro Bowl voting returns, Mekhi Becton and Braden Mann lead AFC voting at left tackle and punter, respectively.

This is a great look for general manager Joe Douglas. The 2020 NFL Draft was his first crack at it as a GM and the early returns are promising. If Becton can stay healthy, he’ll be one of the best left tackles in the NFL for the next decade.

Obviously, the punter is not as important a position as left tackle, but it looks like Douglas snagged a legitimate contributor in Mann with a sixth-round pick. It’s impossible to complain about that.

Second-rounder wide receiver Denzel Mims and fifth-round cornerback Bryce Hall both dealt with injuries that kept them out early in the year, but they are both starting to show some flashes now that they are healthy.

Safety Ashtyn Davis, who the Jets took with one of the picks they received from the Giants for Leonard Williams, has been up and down, but he’s made some big-time plays with his athleticism.

Even running back La’Mical Perine had some nice moments this season before recently going on the IR. There are also three rookie draftees who haven’t played enough to know what they might become — Jabari Zuniga, James Morgan, and Cam Clark.

All in all, every player in this draft class fits into one of three categories. Becton and Mann are potential Pro Bowlers, there is a group of guys who have shown flashes, and another group who the jury is still out on due to lack of reps.

Jets Draft Class Provides Hope For The Future

During this brutal Jets season, there are still some silver linings. For one, the 2020 rookie class is showing potential. If Douglas can continue to draft well, the Jets can turn the team around in a heartbeat.

They are also in the running to draft Trevor Lawrence first overall. That alone could be the spark that reinvigorates the franchise and ends the decade-long rebuild. That also begs the question: What happens to Sam Darnold? There are some analysts who believe that Darnold could net a first-round pick from someone in the offseason.

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In all likelihood, the Jets will receive a day two pick for Darnold. If New York lands the first pick and grabs, for argument’s sake, a second-round pick for Darnold, here’s how the first two days of the draft will look for the Jets:

First overall pick
Mid-to-late first-rounder (via Seahawks)
33rd overall pick
65th overall pick
Third-round pick (via Darnold trade)
Mid-to-late third-rounder (via Seahawks)

It’s also worth noting that Douglas has been stockpiling late-round picks as well. The Jets have six picks on day three to work with. Great teams are built through the draft. Great teams sustain that success by consistently hitting on their draft picks.