2018 NFL mock draft: Have the Jets finally found their QB?

In mid-March, the New York Jets decided to be aggressive. In search of a franchise quarterback, New York gave the No. 6 pick in the draft and three second-round picks to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 3 pick. It was a rare instance of teams making high first-round trades long before the draft started.

For New York, it came out of necessity. The Jets have been a mess for years at quarterback, featuring players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, and last season, Josh McCown. The 38-year-old McCown is back, but he’s obviously not the future in New York. That’s what this draft is about for the Jets.

That’s also what David Wyatt of Gang Green Nation has in mind with the third overall pick in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft.

3. New York Jets: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

Wyatt: This was the scenario the Jets were counting on when they traded up from No. 6 to No. 3. A team that desperately needs a long-term solution at quarterback gets the most polished quarterback in this year’s Draft class. This pick is so obvious that it doesn’t need much analysis beyond that.

Analysis: Josh McCown will likely begin the season as New York’s starting quarterback, but he may not finish it. That’s especially true if the Jets opt for Rosen over someone like Josh Allen of Wyoming. Rosen is the draft’s top quarterback, and for the Jets would be a better version of pre-injury Chad Pennington. Rosen is a smart quarterback who knows how to read the field and pick defenses apart. The knocks on him are that he’s a little statuesque in the pocket, and he has an injury history that includes a couple of concussions. But if he has a clean pocket, he is a killer.

Dan Kadar’s top five players remaining

• 1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
• 2. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
• 3. Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
• 4. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
• 7. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

Our next pick of the day will be coming up at 11 a.m. ET with the Cleveland Browns and Dawgs by Nature back on the clock. How do they top taking quarterback Sam Darnold first overall?