The Jets got their last day of the NFL draft moving early Saturday afternoon by selecting Louisiana offensive tackle Max Mitchell with the sixth pick of day three and the 111th pick overall.
Mitchell is the fourth offensive player taken by general manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh and the Jets draft team in the last three days. The Green & White also have picked two defensive players, both in Round 1. Six slots later, they tabbed Texas A&M edge rusher Micheal Clemons at No. 117, and, with no picks in Rounds 5, 6 and 7, their seven -player 2022 draft was complete.
Mitchell said the Jets showed predraft interest in him, from college practices and games to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. He wasn't surprised they picked him but "I was excited."
What kind of a player are the Jets and their fans getting? Mitchell was Hemingway-esque in his self-scout report.
"I'm versatile, I'm tough, I'm athletic and I'm resilient," he said. "I don't quit. I'm a hard worker. I'm here to contend. I'm ready to go."
"We feel like Max can be a versatile piece on our offensive line," Douglas said shortly after the selection was made. "The guy was at the Senior Bowl. He's very competitive. He's been practicing at tackle and guard and snapping the ball at center. We feel like he could be another versatile piece to put on the offensive line."
Mitchell (6-6, 307) has built up his body nicely over the years after starting out his high school career at Neville HS in Monroe, LA, as a 6-2, 165-pound freshman. He played four years at Louisiana and started and played in 37 games the past three years. Twenty-nine of those starts, including all 13 this past season, came at right tackle, with seven at LT and one at LG. He was named All-Sun Belt Conference second team in '20 and to the first team after last season.
Mitchell is only the second player to be drafted by the Jets from Louisiana, also known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The only other Ragin' Cajun drafted by the Green & White was RB Elijah McGuire, who arrived in Round 6 (188th overall) in 2017 and played 24 games (five starts) in two seasons in green and white.
