AFC Draft Rumors: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

• Stanford WR Elijah Higgins had an official visit with the Dolphins. (Aaron Wilson)

Jets

Jets GM Joe Douglas was asked during his press conference about WR Corey Davis being back with the team for the upcoming season. 

“Yeah, when we talk about great teammates, Corey is a great teammate,” Douglas said, via Pro Football Talk. “Corey is selfless, Corey is an unbelievable worker, he’s a great professional for some of our young guys to look up to and model their approach, their work ethic to this game. And look, we all know that there is a business aspect to football, but Corey is a valued member of this team and this franchise.”

• ESPN’s Matt Miller says the Jets have been doing a lot of research into Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba even though receiver doesn’t appear to be high on their list of needs. 
• Miller adds Smith-Njigba might not be on the board for the Jets at No. 15, but if he is, it’s not way outside the realm of possibility he’d be the pick. 

Patriots

The Patriots broke precedent earlier this offseason when the usually opaque organization put out a statement that they were negotiating an extension and new title for assistant coach Jerod Mayo, which led to him foregoing interviews for other opportunities elsewhere. It led to speculation they promised him he would succeed current HC Bill Belichick but if they did, Mayo wasn’t saying. 

“I’m confident that I will grow. Where that leads, I’m not sure,” Mayo said via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Hopefully, I’ll be here for the foreseeable future, but we’ll just have to see. I am confident in the plan they put together.”

Mayo has been clear about wanting to be a head coach someday. While he’s not being named defensive coordinator and will remain in his LB coach role, he indicated there’s been a priority placed on training him for what a future role as a head coach might entail. 

“Look, I’ll be working with the defense again, with the linebackers again,” he said. “But it’s pretty fluid as far as, let’s call it the classes [and] management stuff. … I’m excited to continue to learn new things — not only X’s and O’s, that’s only a small part of it. I’m just trying to be a sponge and learn as much as I can when I’m in those meetings I’m not normally in; I look forward to learning from Bill as far as all the off-the-field stuff…”

“There are more people talking to me that I appreciate their perspectives, and I try to meld it into my own thought process. So it’s not only talking to Bill, it’s also talking to the scouts, the cap guys, the researchers. I have a lot to learn and that’s another reason why I wanted to be here because I feel like we do it right.”

• Reiss mentions Kentucky QB Will Levis was born in Massachusetts and went to high school in Connecticut, so it’s possible he may have counted as a local visit for the Patriots. 
• Unless there’s a shock and one of the top cornerback prospects slips, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer expects the Patriots to focus on addressing their need at tackle in the first round. 
• Mike Giardi points out the Jets swapping first-round picks with the Packers could benefit the Patriots at No. 14 overall if they are in the market for an offensive tackle given they are now one pick ahead of New York, which may also be looking for an offensive lineman.