AFC East 4 Round Mock Draft

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Projecting the Jets, Patriots, Bills, and Dolphins draft picks in this four round AFC East.

Written by: Evan Bachman

Twitter: @evanrbach

Heading into next season, the AFC east looks like easily one of the best divisions in football. All four teams at least competed for playoff spots as they all won at least seven games and the
division could be even more competitive next season.
The AFC East crown has gone to the Bills the last three seasons and they appear to be the favorites to win it again, but it will be a competitive division.
With Aaron Rodgers looking likely to be traded to the Jets at some point, they look like a Super Bowl contender in a loaded AFC.
The Dolphins are also a big threat to win the division. They would have really challenged the Bills for the division crown last season if Tua Tagovailoa hadn’t gotten injured. Plus, they made some big defensive additions, including trading for star corner Jalen Ramsey.
Meanwhile, the Patriots had a subpar season last year, but they still competed for a wild card spot finishing with an 8-9 record. It may be a pretty big longshot, but they do have a very good
defense, so perhaps if they can get the offense sorted out they can take their division crown back.
In what will be a competitive future for next season and beyond, this draft will be key for all four teams looking to round out their rosters for next year and build for the future.
With that being said, without any further ado, let’s hop into a four round mock draft for all four
AFC East teams.

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New York Jets

Round One, 13th Overall: Peter Skoronski OL Northwestern.

Coming into the draft the Jets’ biggest need aside from quarterback is offensive line. Mekhi
Benton could be coming back this season after his last two campaigns were ruined by injuries.
Even if he does come back, they’ll still have a need at the other tackle spot.
Skoronski will be one of the first offensive linemen off the board in this draft and for good reason
as he was an absolute monster for Northwestern over the course of his career at Northwestern. He excelled as both a run blocker and pass protector as he was a three year starter at left tackle
and made an all-conference team every season. His last season was particularly dominant as
he was the third highest graded tackle in the country on PFF and allowed just six pressures all
season.
As a pass protector, Skoronski plays with good technique as he does a good job of staying
balanced and keeping pass rushers in front of him.
He also projects as a very solid run blocker in the NFL as he plays with good pad level to win
leverage battles at the line of scrimmage and has the athleticism to make blocks out in space.
The big question mark for Skoronski is his arm length. His 31 ¼ inches arm length puts him in
the fourth percentile amongst offensive tackles. This is an issue as although he could get away
with it at Northwestern as short arms will hurt his ability to get his hands on pass rushers pecs to
control the pass rush against edge rushers.
Due to this, many analysts have suggested that Skoronski should move to guard in the NFL.
That is certainly in play, but if he goes to the Jets he’d likely at least start his career at tackle.

Round Two, 42nd Overall: Adetomiwa Adebawore DL Northwestern

Quinnen Williams has developed into one of the best defensive tackles in the league, but the
Jets could use some more depth behind him on the interior defensive line.
It can’t be understated how impressive Adetomiwa Adebawore’s combine performance was. At
282 pounds, Adebawore had a 4.49 40 yard dash, 37 ½” vertical, and 125” broad jump, all of
which are absurd numbers at that weight.
That quickness and athleticism is apparent on film as well as he often won with that quickness
at Northwestern as a disruptor as a pass rusher and run defender.
Adebawore can certainly be a part of an interior defensive line rotation as a rookie in the NFL
with room to improve and develop into a consistent disruptor.
He played both on the edge and interior over his time at Northwestern and he has the versatility
to do either in the NFL. Going to the Jets in this scenario, he would likely play more on the interior.
Round Two, 43rd Overall: Luke Wypler C Ohio State

After using their first round pick on the offensive line with Peter Skoronski at 13th overall, the
Jets use this selection on a center. They brought in Wes Schweitzer on a 2 year deal this
offseason and he would likely move to guard in this scenario.
Luke Wypler was very consistent as a pass protector and run blocker at Ohio State in his two
years of starting.
As a run blocker, he was asked to make some difficult second level blocks in Ohio State’s zone
blocking scheme and did them impressively.
In pass protection, Wypler consistently got the job done as across two seasons of starting he
gave up a total of just one sack and 16 pressures.
Wypler projects nicely to be a starting quality center at the next level, providing the Jets with
solid value in the second round.

Round Four, 112th Overall: Ivan Pace Jr. LB Cincinnati

Linebacker could be on the table earlier in the draft for the Jets, but unfortunately for them it’s a
weak linebacker class. In this scenario, they take the undersized, but highly productive Ivan
Pace Jr. in the fourth round.
Pace Jr. transferred from Miami (OH) to Cincinnati and was amongst the best defensive players
in college football as he was the AAC defensive player of the year and a consensus
All-American.
He is phenomenal as a blitzer with his quickness into the backfield and closing speed on
quarterbacks. Even if he doesn’t develop into an every down player, this is a skill set that can
be utilized in the right system.
The reason he isn’t valued higher as a draft prospect despite his production in college is
because he’s very undersized. At 5-foot-10 ⅜ with short arms, it makes it difficult for him to
affect passing lanes in coverage and take on blocks in run defense.
As a day three pick, he makes sense for a team hoping he can overcome his lack of height to
develop into a quality linebacker in the NFL.

New England Patriots

Round One, 14th Overall: Brian Branch CB/S Alabama

Offensive line and wide receiver may be bigger needs for the Patriots but in this scenario Brian
Branch is the best value. Branch would be a great fit in Belicheck’s defense as a slot corner.
Branch is one of the safest projections to at least be a good player in the NFL of any player in
this draft.
He is a jack of all trades who any coach would love to have in their defense. He has great
coverage skills playing primarily out of the slot.
The biggest selling point to his game translating to the NFL are his instincts. In the pass game
he constantly puts himself in good positions to make plays on the ball. In the run game, he’s
arguably the best of any DB in the draft.
With his instincts and closing speed he constantly makes plays in the run game. He’s also the
best tackler in the entire draft as he missed just three tackles over his career at Alabama, which
is incredible, especially for a DB who plays near the line of scrimmage like him.

Round Two, 46th Overall: Matthew Bergeron OT Syracuse

Both current projected starting tackles for the Patriots next season will be free agents at the end
of the season, so tackle is an area they could address in this draft. Matthew Bergeron provides
solid value in the middle of the second round.
Bergeron was very consistent as a pass protector for the Orange as he allowed 23 pressures
across 23 games over his last two seasons.
He has the quickness and movement skills to keep pass rushers in front of him. Bergeron also
does a good job of setting a powerful base to prevent edge rushers from generating push when
he gets his hands on them.

Round Three, 76th Overall: Michael Wilson WR Stanford

The Patriots likely aren’t going to fix their need for a true number one receiver in this draft, but
they can still add some weapons to this offense. Michael Wilson dealt with injuries over time at
Stanford, but is a talented player.
Over the last three seasons he’s played just 15 games, but Wilson’s looked good while on the
field and led the team in receiving yards his last full season in 2019. He projects as a contested catch type of receiver as he has solid size at 6-foot-1 ⅝, 213 pounds
and it was something he did very well at Stanford.
Wilson makes a lot of sense in the third round as he could develop into a good receiver if he can
stay healthy.

Round Four, 107th Overall: Karl Brooks Edge Bowling Green

With day three picks, most the players available either have some potential, but a lot of
developing to do or were productive in college, but athletically aren’t up to par with most players
at his position and will look to overcome that in the NFL.
Karl Brooks is an example of the ladder. He does have good strength and power that he
leverages to his advantage well, but his lack of explosiveness and bend prevent him from going
higher than this.
At Bowling Green, Brooks was a very productive player, in particular his last season as he has
PFFs highest graded edge rusher in the FBS.
That production came against MAC competition, so it can’t be weighted too highly. However,
Brooks is very much worth a late day two or early day three pick.

Round Four, 117th Overall: Parker
Washington WR Penn State

Parker Washington was a productive player over his three seasons at Penn State as a slot
receiver. He led the team in receiving last season and was second to Jahan Dotson in 2021
and 2020.
Washington doesn’t have a particular calling card as a receiver, but he’s solid at a lot of things.
Even though he’s undersized he’s still good at making contested and difficult catches.
He’s also a solid route runner and is pretty dynamic and difficult to tackle with the ball in his
hands.
Ultimately, Washington’s upside isn’t very high, but he brings enough to the table to potentially
develop into a starting quality slot receiver in the NFL.

Round Four, 135th Overall: Kobie Turner DT Wake Forest

Kobie Turner spent four seasons at Richmond from 2018 to 2021 where he was a dominant
player. He was first team All-Colonial Conference in each of the last two seasons, including
being named Co-Defensive player of the year in the 2021 spring season Turner transferred to Wake Forest for this past season where he proved to be a dominant player
even in a power five conference. He was the highest graded interior defensive lineman in the
conference and was named second team all ACC.
He is a disruptor who knows how to win at the line of scrimmage and blow up plays in the run
and pass game as he can win with quickness or power. The way he has produced throughout
his career he deserves to be an early day three pick with a legitimate shot of being a part of a
defensive line rotation in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills

Round One, 27th Overall: Anton Harrison OT Oklahoma

The Bills come into the draft with no positions that they absolutely have to address. However,
offensive line is still a weakness they should look to address if they can get value. In this mock
draft scenario, they do get good value with Anton Harrison still on the board.
The Oklahoma tackle brings a good skill set to the table as a pass protector and run blocker.
He plays with good technique in pass protection as he plays with good balance and consistently
strikes edge rushers on their pecs where can control the rep preventing edge rushers from
generating push or getting around him.
Harrison is also good at setting a powerful base by staying in an upright position where he can
withstand power rushes. Many times on his tape an edge rusher will have a head of steam and
get a bit of push, but he’s effectively able to hold his ground and win the rep.
He may not be as dominant as a run blocker as some other top tackle prospects in this draft, but
he’s still someone who will hold his own in the run game.
Ultimately, the Bills are a team that highly values the passing game and pass protection from
their offensive line, so he would be a good fit and could start at right tackle from day one.

Round Two, 59th Overall: Nathaniel “Tank” Dell WR Houston

Stefon Diggs is one of the best receivers in the game, but the Bills passing attack was too
reliant on him at times last season. Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir are solid pieces, but they still
need more receivers to take some pressure off Diggs and Allen.
This isn’t an elite wide receiver class, but there are some solid options on the table for them on
day two if they go that route. This includes Houston’s Tank Dell, who they select with their
second round pick in this 2023 NFL mock draft.
Dell was a massive part of Houston’s offense as he doubled the next closest player in targets,
receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. He’s also amongst
the most productive receivers in college football as he went for over 1300 yards in 2022 and
2021.
He did everything for that Houston offense. He could win vertically and track the ball on deep
routes, he could win in the short and intermediate area with his route running, and he could
create extra yards with how dynamic he was with the ball in his hands.
In an NFL offense he won’t have to play nearly as big of a role, but he’s someone who can
develop into a solid slot receiver in the NFL with his big selling point in the NFL being how
dynamic he is with the ball in his hands.

Round Three, 91st Overall: Moro Ojomo DT Texas

The Bills have made the defensive line a big priority in building their roster as they’ve spent
many premium picks on edge rushers and interior defensive linemen over the years. This has
paid off as it’s a strong unit, but they could still use more depth along the interior defensive line.
One issue that arose in the Bills’ divisional round loss to the Bengals was their inability to stop
the run even though Cincinnati was playing with multiple backups on their offensive line. Adding
Moro Ojomo would add someone well suited to stop the run to their defensive line rotation.
Although he’s on the smaller side for interior defensive linemen at sub 300 pounds, he was still
a major disruptor against the run over his time at Texas. He is solid at the point of attack and he
knows how to take on and shed blocks to make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Round Four, 130th Overall: Chandler Zavala G NC State

Earlier in this mock draft, the Bills addressed their tackle need with their first round pick, here
they address the interior offensive line. They’re unlikely to find a starter in the fourth round, but
Chandler Zavala would be a good depth piece.
Similar to Harrison, Zavala fits the mold of what the Bills look for from their offensive linemen as
a pass protector.
Across his 17 games over the past two seasons, Zavala was very consistent in pass protection
as he gave up just 8 pressures and no sacks.

Miami Dolphins

Round Two, 51st Overall: Sam LaPorta TE Iowa.

With Mike Gesicki signing with the Patriots in free agency, tight end is very much on the table for
the Dolphins in what is a very strong tight end class.
With Mike Gesicki signing with the Patriots in free agency, tight end is very much on the table for
the Dolphins in what is a very strong tight end class.
LaPorta will likely be the fourth or fifth tight end off the board, but his ceiling and abilities as a
receiving weapon make him a coveted prospect who likely won’t make it out of the second
round.
He has been a four year contributor for the Iowa offense, especially the last two seasons where
he led the Hawkeyes in receiving yards.
With LaPorta’s athleticism he can win as a separator and after the catch making defenders
miss. He has improvements to make as a blocker, which is why he won’t come off the board
higher, but his upside as an athlete and receiving abilities provides good value in the second
round.

Round Three, 84th Overall: TreVius Hodges-Tomlinson CB TCU

Jalen Ramsey was one of the biggest additions any team made this offseason as the Dolphins
acquired the star corner for a third round pick. Regardless, depth at corner is essential,
especially in a conference that is loaded with quarterback talent.
TreVius Hodges-Tomlinson had an outstanding career at TCU as he was a first team all big 12
corner in all three of his seasons. He may not have the ideal physical tools to excel in the NFL,
but he’s a very smart, instinctive player who could carve out a role for himself in an NFL
defense.
His lack of size and length at 5-foot-8, 178 pounds with 29 inch arms is why he likely won’t be a
first round and will likely mean he’ll need to play more of a slot role in the NFL.
Hodges-Tomlinson is simply just a good football player that you want to bet on overcoming his
size concerns to have a good career in the NFL.

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