New York Jets
Projected Cap Space: $8.2 million
Draft Picks: 8
- 1st (No. 10)
- 3rd (No. 72)
- 4th (No. 112)
- 4th (No. 114, from DEN)
- 6th (No. 187)
- 7th (No. 253, comp)
- 7th (No. 254, comp)
- 7th (No. 257, comp)
Notable Free Agents:
- DE Bryce Huff
- DT Quinton Jefferson
- DE Carl Lawson
- LT Mekhi Becton
- S Jordan Whitehead
- DT Solomon Thomas
- C Connor McGovern
- S Ashtyn Davis
- S Chuck Clark
- CB Bryce Hall
- K Greg Zuerlein
- P Thomas Morstead
- LT Duane Brown
- OT Billy Turner
- WR Randall Cobb
- DT Al Woods
Top Three Needs
1 – Offensive Line
The top priority for the Jets this offseason is overhauling an offensive line that might have submarined the 2023 season even if QB Aaron Rodgers didn’t pop his Achilles. There’s a lot of work to do. The Jets need two new starting tackles, as their plan of relying on veterans Duane Brown, Mekhi Becton and Billy Turner just flat up did not work. Becton at least stayed healthy but at this point, both Becton and the Jets would benefit from a fresh start.
It’s tough to find tackles in free agency which is why 97 percent of the mock drafts between now and the draft will have the Jets using the No. 10 pick on a tackle. Fortunately for them, it’s a good class. There’s precedent in landing an immediate starter that high in the draft but it’s also worth noting rookie tackles can face a steep learning curve. It also means the Jets will need to figure something out for the other side, as well as add a reliable veteran backup in case there are injuries or someone falters.
Things on the interior are in a better spot with two young building block types in G Alijah Vera-Tucker and C Joe Tippman. The Jets also have G Laken Tomlinson who was a major free agent signing two years ago. But he hasn’t lived up to his contract and is a cut candidate this offseason. If he leaves, the Jets need a new starter at guard, as well as depth to shield against injuries.
They could also kick Vera-Tucker out to tackle since he’s more than held his own in some short stints there the past two years and it’s usually easier to find starting-caliber guards than it is starting-caliber tackles. But his ceiling is much higher on the interior. Vera-Tucker has also finished the last two seasons on injured reserve, with the latest injury a torn Achilles, so there are some durability question marks with him as well.
The bottom line is the Jets have a significant task ahead of them to fix the line this offseason. We’ve seen teams have success revamping a starting five in just one offseason but more often than not the demand outweighs the supply when it comes to offensive linemen in the NFL.
2 – Wide Receiver
The Jets’ issues on offense extended past the offensive line last year. They got subpar production from the quarterback, play-caller and other receivers not named Garrett Wilson. Rodgers’ return is supposed to fix the quarterback problem and the Jets doubled down on OC Nathaniel Hackett and his system. That leaves receiver for them to look into this offseason.
New York needs a legitimate No. 2 receiver to take some attention away from Wilson, who is set to lead the team in targets by a mile in 2024. The Jets were sniffing around a few other big-name receivers last year, including Bucs WR Mike Evans and WR Odell Beckham before he signed with the Ravens. There’s also of course the obvious connection between Rodgers and Raiders WR Davante Adams but with Las Vegas canning former HC Josh McDaniels midseason, Adams seems a lot happier with the state of things.
There will be some interesting receivers set to hit free agency, including Evans. Signing receivers in free agency can be a minefield, which the Jets know all too well after getting little return on their four-year, $44 million investment in WR Allen Lazard last year. But with their first-round pick likely ticketed for a tackle, free agency is likely the best avenue for them to add a notable receiver. Another option could be some kind of trade, perhaps using one of their two fourth-round picks to take on a pricy wideout another team is looking to shed.
One way or another, they can’t go into 2024 with Lazard and a batch of former undrafted wideouts surrounding Wilson. The Packers gave Rodgers a lot more help than that.
3 – Defensive Line
I would expect the Jets to prioritize restocking the defensive line even though it remains a strength of the team. Jets HC Robert Saleh and the defensive staff put a huge emphasis on the defensive line, just like the 49ers where many of them worked before, and regularly carried 10 or more into the regular season following roster cuts. Most of their defensive tackle group is on expiring contracts and their edge rushing group will lose Huff and Lawson.
So from a numbers perspective, they have work to do. The Jets might not make any huge moves but they will almost certainly sign or draft several players to restock the room. The possible exception would be finding a way to re-sign Huff. However, from a resource allocation standpoint, it makes a lot more sense to let him walk and give 2023 first-round DE Will McDonald a bigger role. Huff is also looking for a team that will give him a chance to show he’s a complete edge rusher rather than the situational role the Jets had him playing.
You could argue safety is a bigger need with three key players set for free agency but the Jets have prioritized other positions on defense and there will be a plethora of ways for them to reload without spending too much. It’s a deep class in both free agency and the draft, so the Jets could sign a mid-level free agent and use a fourth or a fifth on a safety and be in great shape.
One Big Question
Can Joe Douglas finally fix the offensive line?
In his first press conference after being hired by the Jets in 2019, GM Joe Douglas made it clear that the offensive line was one of the most important positions on the team and one he planned to dedicate a lot of resources toward improving.
“This is a game of wills,” Douglas said. “We’re going to try to build a team can impose their will on another team. To do that you have to be strong up front.”
Nearly all of his press conferences in the past five years have included some sort of reference to how important the offensive line is and how much urgency he feels to fix it. To his credit, there haven’t been many teams who have dedicated more draft picks or free agency dollars to offensive linemen than the Jets.
The offensive line remains almost as bad as it was when Douglas started.
Ultimately this is going to be what either sinks Douglas or gives him new life as the GM of the Jets, just as much as his decisions at quarterback. He’s built the defense, he’s hit on some high-level skill position players and he may have rectified his miss with Zach Wilson by trading for Rodgers. But the failure to put together a solid starting five is a consistent theme in how often the Jets have failed to meet expectations.
Fixing the offensive line wouldn’t fix everything that’s wrong with the Jets. An NFL season is like a stretch of brutal rapids. It takes a lot of skill and no shortage of luck to navigate through everything that comes up. But if your raft is leaking, there’s no shot. If Douglas can’t fix the offensive line, it’s hard to see the Jets having much of a chance in 2024.
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