The NFL offseason is upon us and the New York Jets aren’t just looking at current NFL players to improve their team.
The Senior Bowl isn’t the only place where top collegiate talent can go to show off their skills. The NFLPA Bowl kicks off Saturday and teams like the New York Jets can get their first glances at some of the top young talents trying to make their mark in the NFL.
While not as well known as the Senior Bowl, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl has been around since 2012. Their mission of “preparing players for the speed and intensity of professional football, but also for the business and lifestyle changes that come with it” has rung true for several current NFL players and past alumni like Jamal Agnew, Elandon Roberts, and Duron Harmon.
The Jets, like all teams, are expected to use the bowl game as a chance to scout some of the top players in the class. Here are three names to keep an eye on for them as the game kicks off over the weekend.
Joseph Ngata – WR, Clemson
The Jets could use all the offensive firepower they can get. Ngata put up career highs in his final year at Clemson and could set himself nicely with a strong showing here. New York already has Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore as primary receivers but Ngata has the jump-ball skills that could make him a commodity for the Jets’ offense – especially in the red zone.
Jahleel Billingsley – TE, Texas
The 2023 draft class is the deepest at the tight-end position in recent memory. Billingsley isn’t a top guy like Michael Mayer or Darnell Washington but he certainly has tape on him from two years ago that could excite even the most starved tight-end hungry team. Billingsley lost favor with Nick Saban and didn’t put up the best numbers in Texas but a strong workout period and showing Saturday could certainly improve his stock for a team like the Jets.
Trevon Flowers – S, Tennessee
A fifth-year senior out of Tennessee, Flowers could provide needed depth to the Jets’ secondary. This is a unit already brimming with talent but an instinctive, physical player like Flowers could be extra help on special teams and against the run. The Jets need playmakers that match the swagger of Sauce Gardner. Trevon Flowers could fill that nicely.
