It won’t take Ponds long to find a familiar face in the locker room. The Jets ended night one of the draft with a trade-up, sending the first pick of the second round (No. 33 overall) and a fifth-round compensatory (No. 179 overall) to San Francisco to select another Hoosier standout No. 30 overall. Wideout Omar Cooper Jr. (6-0, 199) played in 42 games at IU, amassing 115 receptions for 1,798 yards (15.6) and 22 TDs.
Mougey started talking to teams late in Round 1 and he found a dancing partner in the 49ers.
“We were talking about it internally and we had some conversations with some the teams there at the back of the first,” Mougey said. “To give up pick 179, that comp(ensatory) fifth, to up and just secure the player, not take any risks that he might go and to get the fifth-year option, we thought it was a no-brainer and glad it worked out.”
The Jets opened their draft proceedings with the selection of Texas Tech edge David Bailey (6-4, 251) at No. 2 overall. The Jets liked Bailey’s explosiveness and twitch, and he had the production to match. Over 46 college games at Stanford (32) and Texas Tech (14), Bailey racked up 29 sacks and 42 TFL. He was unblockable last season at Tech, leading the FBS with 14.5 sacks and adding a Big 12 best 19.5 TFL.
“I think we feel really good about the edge group,” Mougey said after adding Bailey and free agents Kingsley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai. “You never have enough of those guys and David’s still a rookie. These guys coming out, I don’t care whether they’re first-round picks or seventh-round picks, there is development there, there is a lot to learn. He’s going to come in, he’s going to help, he’s going to contribute for sure, but he’s still going to learn like the rest of the rookies.”