Kyle McCord NFL draft projection: Top 3 landing spots for Syracuse QB ft. New York Jets

Quarterback Kyle McCord had a strong season in Syracuse after leaving Ohio State this past offseason. McCord had a strong season with the Buckeyes in 2023, but after the team brought in Will Howard, he opted to enter the transfer portal and go to Syracuse. McCord completed 391 of 592 passing attempts with the Orange for 4779 yards and 34 TDs.

Although McCord is not viewed as one of the top five QBs in his class, he is consistently ranked within the top 10. He is unlikely to hear his name called on the draft's first day. However, he has likely done enough to get drafted in the later rounds.

Top three landing spots for Syracuse QB Kyle McCord

Kyle McCord will likely need to wait a little while to hear his name called during the draft. However, he is projected to be drafted by most draft experts. Pro Football Focus has him as the ninth-ranked QB in the draft. CBS Sports has him as the seventh-best QB in the draft. Lastly, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has him as the sixth-ranked QB in the draft.

One issue that could cause McCord's draft stock to fall is that he is undergoing knee surgery before the draft.

#1 New York Jets

The New York Jets are in an interesting position. They did not have much success after bringing in aging star QB Aaron Rodgers a few years ago. Now, it appears that Rodgers is either retiring or leaving the team. As a result, the team is expected to enter a rebuild.

With the team rebuilding, they will need a QB for the future. However, with the seventh pick in the draft, they cannot select either of the top options, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Instead, they will take a top player at another position.

The Jets' rebuild is expected to take a few seasons, and as a result, they can sign a veteran QB to play for a few seasons while letting a young QB develop. Picking up McCord for a long-term plan could make sense for the Jets.

#2 Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are in an interesting position in the upcoming NFL draft. They have the second pick and could use a top QB to spark their rebuild. However, they still have Deshaun Watson under contract for another season.

If the Browns do not want to pay Watson to sit on the bench, they can pick up a player at another position, like Travis Hunter, with the second pick and grab a QB like McCord in the later rounds. They can then see how McCord develops over the next season as a backup before determining if they want to use a first-round pick on a QB next season.

#3 LA Rams

McCord will likely need to develop for a few seasons before he sees serious playing time in the NFL. So, it makes sense for a team with an established QB to draft him. The LA Rams are a perfect fit.

The Rams have a star QB in Matthew Stafford, but he is aging. So, they could draft McCord and have him back up Stafford while he develops. Then, when Stafford ages out of the position, McCord will be ready for the starting role.