Tank Off? How Jets and Commanders Need Loss to Improve Draft Stock
We're at the point of the NFL season where teams who have been eliminated from playoff contention must transition their focus from winning to improving their draft stock.
For the Washington Commanders and New York Jets, that reality will hit them hard when the two teams meet on Christmas Eve at MetLife Stadium.
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Washington sports a 4-10 record and currently owns the fourth overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft according to Tankathon.
New York (5-9) has the seventh overall pick.
A win for the Commanders would tie them with the Jets with five wins, but it would mean that Gang Green would have the higher draft pick. If New York beats Washington, the Commanders could be locked in for a top-five overall pick in April.
Ron Rivera's squad has lost five games in a row following a trade deadline that saw the organization part ways with former second-overall pick Chase Young, and pass-rushing dynamo Montez Sweat. Since starting the season 2-0, the Burgundy and Gold have gone a measly 2-10 since with a porous offensive line and secondary a major reason for their struggles.
Things haven't been much better for the Jets this year.
In a season that brought heightened expectations with the arrival of Aaron Rodgers, the Jets lost the future Hall of Famer four plays into his debut in Week 1. A rash of injuries along the offensive line that has seen 13 players in action and 11 combinations has turned the offense from an exciting one to one of the worst in NFL history.
"It’s hard, because you’re always looking for consistency," Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said Thursday. "As much consistency as you can find from anywhere on the field, the better you’re going to be, the more you’re going to be able to progress because you always want to continually get better as the season goes on to enter into the playoffs... that’s something that we haven’t found this year"
Sunday afternoon's contest will see the Jets' 32nd-ranked offense go up against the Commanders' 32nd-ranked defense with a top-five pick on the line - hardly a game that will bring excitement from either fanbase.
With just days away before the two teams face off in New Jersey, there are plenty of major storylines to follow though between two downtrodden organizations.
Getting a top pick in April will be at the top of that list. It could be the difference between getting a top quarterback for Washington, or the best offensive lineman for New York.
