*Updated, 5:40 p.m. ET
*The Jets, shortly after drafting WRs ArDarius Stewart on Friday and Chad Hansen in the fourth round today, were on a skill-position roll after selecting Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett in Round 5 this afternoon. The Leggett pick was the Jets' own pick in Round 5 and the 150th overall.
"I'm definitely excited," Leggett told Jets reporters. "That's one thing I love to do is catch the ball and make plays and just help my team out in any way possible. I feel like I can definitely do that for the Jets, just pose that threat, pose that mismatch because that's what I do. I'm great with the ball in my hands and I'm just excited to go forward and get with the offense and go to work."
Then late in the fifth round, the Green & White returned to the defensive side of the ball by grabbing big-sacking defensive lineman/outside linebacker Dylan Donahue from Division II West Georgia.
"It's just been a real humbling experience," Donahue said, "coming from high school in Montana to go into California and junior college and then come to Georgia and being around great players at every level and just having the great success that I've had. I cannot be more thankful."
In between those picks, the Jets and general manager Mike Maccagnan made themselves a tradedown sandwich.
With their original second Round 5 pick (160th overall), acquired in a Friday trade with Minnesota, Maccagnan executed his fourth tradedown of the draft. He sent that choice and the Jets' Round 7 pick (224th overall) to Cleveland for the Browns' late-fifth-rounder (181) and their sixth-rounder (188).
That was the Jets' fourth tradedown this draft, the most in any draft in franchise history, eclipsing the three draft-day tradedowns in 2006 and the three tradedowns (two during the draft) in '97.
At the moment the Jets have four more picks in Round 6, none in Round 7, seven in all rounds today and 10 for the entire 2017 draft.
Best Images of the Former Clemson TE
Lowdown on LeggettLeggett (6'5", 258) has stood out the last two seasons for the Tigers and after last season he was named an All-ACC first-teamer and a John Mackey Award finalist. He had 46 catches for 736 yards (16.0 yards/catch) and seven TDs for Clemson's 2016 national championship team after totaling 40-525-8 as a junior.
His four-season totals at Clemson: 112 catches, 1,598 yards (14.3 yards/catch), 18 TDs.
"I played back, I played on the line, I played slot, I played wideout. I've done it all," Leggett said of how he was used collegiately. "Honestly it doesn't matter who's standing across from me. If you look back at the season, the big games I had were against some of the best teams in the nation like Florida State, Louisville and Alabama. When you kind of take away our good receivers, you have to look for the mismatch and that's just big because I impose it on any defender all over the field and just running routes. This is what I do. This is what I'm good at."
Leggett wore uniform No. 16 at Clemson as a tribute to Ian Lockwood, his friend and former high school teammate who passed away from brain cancer in 2011, the number a combination of their scholastic numbers of 6 for Leggett and 10 for Lockwood. Leggett still wears a Livestrong bracelet as a reminder of his friend.
At the NFL Combine, Leggett turned in a 4.71-second 40 and good TE times of 4.33 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, 12.06 in the 60 shuttle and 7.12 in the three-cone drill.
Leggett is the ninth Clemson player drafted by the Jets all-time and the first since WR Charone Peake was taken in last year's seventh round.
Southern Sack BeastDonahue (6'3", 248) is a college sack master. He began his career with 19 sacks in two seasons combined at Palomar JC. Then he transferred to West Georgia, where he racked up 12 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in his first year with the Wolves and a Gulf South Conference-record 13.5 sacks and 20 TFLs last season and was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Year.
At the NFL Combine, Donahue turned in a 4.75-second 40 and 26 reps in the benchpress. He looks to be an undersized but promising OLB with athleticism that should enable him to contribute in sub packages and on special teams.
Dylan's the son of Mitch Donahue, the WAC Defensive Player of the Year for Wyoming in 1989-90 and a four-year pro for the 49ers and Broncos. He's the first player ever draft by the Jets out of West Georgia.
Top Photos of the LB from West Georgia
And Dylan is excited to get to work with the Jets and new LBs coach Kevin Greene, not just because Greene is a Pro Football Hall of Famer but because Dylan's dad knew him as a player.
"I couldn't be more blessed having a mentor like that as a coach," Donahue said. "My dad played four years in the league and he had nothing but good things to say about Kevin Greene and just how much of a legend that he is. That alone excites me. I can't wait to play my butt off for him."
"I think the key for me is just going to be keeping my motor," said the young man from Big Sky country. "What I've heard from multiple scouts is that I have one of the highest motors they've seen in seven years. That's part of my personality and I'm going to keep doing that and I'm just going to be me and I'm just going to try to be a better me."