By Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Say the Jets don't take a quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft. Who else could they target? Here are a few names to watch, including Penn State's Saquon Barkley.

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Chris Knight | AP Photo

A crazy hypothetical ...

It's become a foregone conclusion. The Jets will stink the entirety of this season. They'll be awarded a top-three pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They'll select USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, or another quarterback with their first-round pick.

For the first time since Joe Namath, they'll have a (hopeful) franchise signal caller.

That's the goal. But there are 14 games left, and several other teams tanking just as hard as New York with eyes on the same prize.

There's a chance the Jets win enough games to take themselves out of the first five picks in the draft. They don't have the assets (without mortgaging the future) to make up the difference. Mike Maccagnan's dream scenario could easily take a nightmarish turn.

So, let's play hypotheticals with a hypothetical scenario. Say the truly crazy happens: The Jets finish the year 5-11, miss out on Rosen and Darnold, and are forced to draft another position with their first pick.

Who could they target? Here are a few non-quarterback options.

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Arden Key, LSU: Pass rusher

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The Jets have Muhammad Wilkerson technically under contract for next season, but they have an out in his deal. If he continues to struggle (no sacks through two games), they could let him go.

Key is a 6-6, 265-pound pass-rushing specialist. The Jets haven't had that in quite some time. In 2016, he had 55 tackles and 11 sacks. He'd be a nice piece on defense, and alleviate some of the pressure on Leonard Williams. Key, Williams and Jamal Adams could be the face of the defense for years to come.

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Mo Wilkerson out vs. Dolphins?

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Saquon Barkley, Penn State: Running back

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You see what Ezekiel Elliott has done for the Cowboys. Saquon Barkley could be that for the Jets. An everything man at running back, Barkley is one of the best players in the nation. Last year, he ran for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns, and caught 28 passes for 402 yards and another four scores.

He's off to an even better start in 2017.

In three games, Barkley has 38 rushes for 308 yards (8.1 average) and three touchdowns. He has another 11 catches for 241 yards (21.9 average) and two scores.

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Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama: Cornerback

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It's very unlikely Buster Skrine returns to the Jets next year. Depending on how this season goes for Morris Claiborne, he could be gone, too. The Jets have Juston Burris and Darryl Roberts, along with rookie sixth-round picks Derrick Jones and Jeremy Clark, but they can't be relied on yet.

Fitzpatrick could, potentially, give the Jets an elite-level shutdown cornerback. He had six interceptions for Alabama last year.

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Harold Landry, Boston College: Pass rusher

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Landry is another one of those pass-rushing specialists. He's not as big as Key (6-3, 250), but was unbelievably productive last year. In 12 games, he had 50 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss and 16.5 sacks. The Jets could use a player like him on defense.

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Courtland Sutton, SMU: Receiver

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Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson are nice players, but not true No. 1 options. Rookie ArDarius Stewart is likely best fit in the slot. Chad Hansen, in time, could develop into a nice deep threat, but he's not a well-rounded wideout.

The point is, the Jets could use an elite go-to guy on offense. Sutton could be that guy.

He's not as fine-tuned as some others, but he's a massive, 6-4, 215-pound target. Last year, he caught 76 passes for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns. In three games this year, he already has 11 catches for 185 yards and five scores.

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Stewart waiting for chance to impress Jets

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James Washington, Oklahoma State: Receiver

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Washington is a bit smaller than Sutton (6-0, 205 pounds), but has been wildly productive at Oklahoma. He had 1,087 yards receiving in 2015, then 1,380 last year. In three games this season, he has 13 catches for 387 yards and three scores.

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Connor Williams, Texas: Offensive tackle

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James Carpenter and Brian Winters are above-average guards. Wesley Johnson looks like a developing center. Assuming Brandon Shell continues to progress, the lone weak spot is at tackle. Even that's not weak with Kelvin Beachum there, but it could be improved.

Many consider Connor Williams the top tackle in the class. He'd be a nice addition to the Jets' line, if they were to move on from Beachum.

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