We are two and a half weeks away from another NFL Draft. Last year, the New York Jets had their best draft in a very long time. General manager Joe Douglas landed two players in the top ten (Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson) who made immediate impacts with the team. He would also shuffle the draft order to land two other contributors (Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall) and add depth to key positions (Jeremy Ruckert, Max Mitchell, Micheal Clemons). Like every team, the New York Jets have some positions where they can build depth in the NFL Draft. Certain positions, though, stick out more than others. Let’s look at where the Jets need to do in this year’s draft.
Offensive Line
The first position group the New York Jets need to focus on in this year’s NFL Draft is offensive line. Between repeated injuries and terrible coaching (so long, John Becton), the Jets’ offensive line was a revolving door. The first domino to fall was the Jets’ 2020 first overall pick Mekhi Becton in training camp. Duane Brown – normally one of the most durable linemen in all the NFL – appeared in only 12 games. Mitchell appeared in six games. George Fant only played in eight games. Offensive line depth is extremely vital in the league, and you can never have enough of them. The Jets added Wes Schweitzer and Trystan Colon-Castillo in free agency. Expect them to draft another offensive lineman, especially if they remain at 13th overall.
Inside Linebacker
The second position group the New York Jets need to focus on in this year’s NFL Draft is inside linebacker. C.J. Mosley is the anchor of this defense. But with a bloated contract (thank you, Mike Macagnan) and age working against him, the Jets need to find the guy who is going to anchor this defense. Another indictment on Mosley is his weakness in coverage. His current backup is Jamien Sherwood, who lost a season in his rookie year in 2021, but appeared in all 17 games last season. I wouldn’t be surprised if this position is addressed on Saturday afternoon in Round 4.
Defensive Line
The third position group the New York Jets need to focus on in this year’s NFL Draft is defensive line. Over the past decade, this has been the strongest position group for the franchise. Quinnen Williams had his breakout season in 2022, registering career bests in sacks and tackles. Carl Lawson had a somewhat decent bounce back season in 2022 after missing all of 2021. John Franklin-Myers is a solid contributor, but commits too many penalties. Michael Clemons was a pleasant surprise during his rookie campaign. The loss of Sheldon Rankins leaves need at a run-stopping interior lineman. Like they did with Clemons last year, they could find a diamond in the rough on Saturday afternoon.
Wide Receiver
The final position group the New York Jets need to focus on in this year’s NFL Draft is wide receiver. The Jets moved on from Braxton Berrios and Elijah Moore, who both had disappointing 2022 seasons. Could they move on from Corey Davis, whether by outright release or part of a trade? Then, there’s the curious case of Denzel Mims, who was drafted in the second round of 2020, but has struggled in Robert Saleh’s regime. You can never have enough burners or crisp route runners in your lineup, especially if roster turnover continues before camp. The modus operandi for Douglas has been to shuffle the board by trading up or waiting for the best available player. Expect a Day 3 pick at this position, but a trade up on Day 2 – particularly since they have back-to-back picks at 42 and 43 – wouldn’t be shocking.
