The Jets took their first defensive player in this NFL Draft with their first fifth round pick, but it was not at the position people expected.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas selected Auburn safety/linebacker Jamien Sherwood with pick No. 146 in the draft. Sherwood played safety at Auburn, but the Jets listed him as a linebacker when they announced the pick.
It appears he will move to linebacker under Robert Saleh, which is a position of need for the Jets. He had 75 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three pass breakups, one quarterback hit and one fumble recovery in 2020.
The Jets traded their final fourth-round pick (No. 143) to the Raiders for a fifth-rounder (162) and sixth-rounder (200). That gives the Jets there fifth-round picks and three sixth round picks today.
- Jets complete 2021 NFL Draft tracker
The expectation was the Jets would take a cornerback, but linebacker is also a position of need. The 6-foot-2, 216-pounder should play weakside linebacker for the Jets. The Jets are switching from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 under Saleh and need to add linebackers. Sherwood will have a shot at playing time as a rookie because of how thin the position is.
Sherwood should have an immediate impact on special teams for the Jets, a role he played at Auburn as well.
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