The Jets and Giants went defense on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

Days after securing a trade for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, the Jets failed to provide Aaron Rodgers with one of their offensive line targets. With the top four prospects at the position off the board, the Jets swerved and made a surprising reach, drafting Iowa State defensive end Will McDonald IV with the 15th overall selection.

McDonald, the first Cyclones player taken in the first round in five decades, wasn’t a lock to be taken Thursday night, but the pass-rushing specialist — his 34 sacks is tied for the all-time Big 12 record — can serve an immediate purpose for Robert Saleh and the win-now Jets.

The Giants made defensive coordinator Wink Martindale happy by trading up one spot with Jacksonville — giving up a fifth-round and a seventh round pick, in addition to the No. 25 overall pick — and selecting uber-athletic cornerback Deonte Banks of Maryland at No. 24.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Banks had the fourth-highest athleticism score of any cornerback prospect over the past decade, recording a 42-inch vertical leap and a 4.35 40-yard dash. The speed and physicality of the 6-foot, 200-pound defensive back could make him a first-year starter.

Around the league, surprises defined the night. These are the five that stood out during a fascinating first round:

Biggest free fall: Move over, Aaron Rodgers. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis — widely projected as a top-five pick, and strongly linked to Houston at No. 2 — set a new standard for draft humiliation as the TV networks focused on a never-ending nightmare in which he spent more than four hours in the green room without being selected. According to ESPN analytics, there was a 0.1 percent chance Levis would be available after 24 picks.

Biggest trade: After Carolina selected Alabama’s Bryce Young with the first overall pick, Houston took Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2. The Texans also wanted the draft’s safest bet on defense, trading up with Arizona to draft Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3. Houston — the first team in 23 years to make two of the first three picks in a draft — surrendered the 12th and 33rd overall picks in this year’s draft, plus first- and third-round picks in 2024.

Greatest value: Months removed from nearly winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles snatched the most talented player in the draft. In giving up just a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Bears, Philadelphia moved up one spot to land the ninth overall pick and Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. He joins former Bulldogs teammate Jordan Davis, last year’s first-round pick of the Eagles, and edge rusher Nolan Smith, selected by Philadelphia with the 30th overall pick. Carter has off-the-field concerns, but he may go down as the steal of the draft.

Biggest reach: Anthony Richardson may cost more than one member of the Colts front office their jobs after going to Indianapolis at No. 4. The Florida quarterback is a walking highlight reel with phenomenal athleticism and upside, but his production rarely matched his talent level. Richardson started just 13 games in college — the fewest of any quarterback drafted in the first round in the past two decades — and completed just 53.8 percent (ranked 116th in FBS) of his passes for a 6-7 Florida team last season.

Biggest changeup: Before last night, a running back hadn’t been selected in the top 20 since Saquon Barkley went second overall in 2018. But the spirit of Dave Gettleman filled the air as the Falcons took Texas running back Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick and the Lions drafted Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12. Both players are special talents. Neither fills his new team’s most pressing need.

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The Rangers have hit a wall. His name is Akira Schmid.

The Devils’ 22-year-old rookie backup goaltender continued his ascent to stardom in Game 5 of the first-round playoff series, making 23 saves in Thursday night’s 4-0 win at Prudential Center to give New Jersey its third straight win and a chance to eliminate the Rangers on Saturday night in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden.

Last week, the Rangers left New Jersey eyeing a short series following back-to-back 5-1 wins.

Now they head home wondering how to beat Schmid, who has stopped 80 of 82 shots in three games since replacing Vitek Vanecek. Schmid’s shutout was the first by a Devils goalie in the postseason since 2012 (Martin Brodeur).

Carrying the momentum of back-to-back wins at the Garden, the Devils dominated play from the start with Ondrej Palat scoring 39 seconds into the game. An Erik Haula redirection and a Dawson Mercer shorthanded goal in the second period was far more support than Schmid — who entered the postseason with 18 career starts — needed.

A Rangers season that began with Stanley Cup aspirations could end before the second round begins.

On Sunday, the Knicks begin an Eastern Conference semifinal series for the first time in a decade.

They do so in the surprising position as a small betting favorite with home-court advantage, facing the eighth-seeded Miami Heat, who are entering off of one of the greatest playoff upsets — fueled by Jimmy Butler’s all-time postseason performances — in history.

What can we expect from the latest matchup of this classic rivalry?

A level of toughness and competitiveness that defined four consecutive postseason battles (1997-2000), each decided in do-or-die games.

That was evident in the teams’ four regular-season meetings — the Knicks won three of four, just as they had against the Cavaliers — no matter who was missing from the lineup:

Knicks 106, Heat 104 (Feb. 2 in New York): In a battle between teams fighting to avoid the play-in game, Bam Adebayo went off for 30 points and Tyler Herro — who will miss this series because of a broken hand suffered in the previous round — added 25, but Herro missed a potential game-winning 3-point at the buzzer. Without Jalen Brunson (illness) and Mitchell Robinson (thumb) — as well as Josh Hart, who wouldn’t be acquired until the following week — R.J. Barrett led the Knicks with 30 points, and Julius Randle added 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Butler, who averaged 37.6 points in the first-round win over the Bucks, was limited to 10.

Knicks 122, Heat 120 (March 3 in Miami): The Knicks extended their winning streak to eight games as Randle (43 points, eight 3-pointers) stole the show. In the final seconds, Butler knocked the ball loose from Randle, who miraculously collected it and drained an off-balance 3-pointer to put the Knicks ahead with 0.7 seconds remaining. Butler scored 33 points (18 free throws on 20 attempts) and Herro had 29.

Heat 127, Knicks 120 (March 22 in Miami): On the day following Willis Reed’s death, the Knicks couldn’t slow Butler, who finished with 35 points and nine assists. Herro sparked the victory, scoring 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Brunson scored 25 points for the second straight meeting with Miami, Barrett had 26 and Quentin Grimes — who missed the final two games of the Cleveland series due to a shoulder contusion — added 22.

Knicks 101, Heat 92 (March 29 in New York): This was when Randle first sustained the sprained left ankle he reaggravated in Game 5 against the Cavaliers. Randle suffered the injury that would sideline him for the final two-plus weeks of the regular season when he grabbed an offensive rebound and pump-faked, resulting in Adebayo landing on him. Without the Knicks’ leading scorer, Tom Thibodeau turned to his bench, riding Hart, Immanuel Quickley (24 points) and Isaiah Hartenstein the entire fourth quarter, along with Barrett and Grimes. Brunson and Butler were held to 12 points apiece.