Sports Illustrated Grades Jets' 2023 Draft Below Median
The grades are in and the New York Jets didn't make the initial Honor Roll.
Gang Green earned a "B-" for its overall body of work at the 2023 National Football League Draft. Sports Illustrated released the team-by-team assessments on Saturday night.
The Jets finished with a higher mark than only 11 of the 32 NFL franchises.
In terms of the AFC East division, general manager Joe Douglas and Co. tied for second place with the New England Patriots, who also pulled in a B- grade. The reigning three-time division champion Buffalo Bills earned a B to top the quartet.
Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins, who forfeited their first-round pick due to a rules violation, finished at the bottom of the entire NFL with a D+ mark.
From Sports Illustrated Assessment (by Matt Verderame):
New York Jets
Grade: B-
- Round 1: No. 15 (from Packers), Will McDonald IV, OLB, Iowa State
- Round 2: No. 43: Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin
- Round 4: No. 120 (from Patriots and Steelers), Carter Warren, OT, Pittsburgh
- Round 5: No. 143: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh
- Round 6: No. 184 (from Patriots through Raiders): Zaire Barnes, LB, Western Michigan
- Round 6: No. 204 (from Raiders through Cowboys), Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB, LSU
- Round 7: No. 220 (from Raiders through Cardinals), Zach Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
Analysis: The Jets entered a new world this week after trading for Aaron Rodgers. They immediately upgraded his situation by taking Tippmann from Wisconsin, who is arguably the best center in this class. General manager Joe Douglas doubled down up front with his next choice, landing Warren in the fourth round. McDonald is an older first-round pick after spending five years with the Cyclones, but if he works out, the Jets have a nice group up front featuring McDonald, Quinnen Williams, Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers and others. Finally, Kuntz is a good value in the seventh round, a talent some thought would go significantly earlier in Day 3. — M.V.
Rapid reactions don't always hold up well over time, but there is some merit to the guess work.
If graded solely upon addressing needs, the Jets could have done better by adding a rookie contract to its defensive tackles group. Gang Green could've also used a full-time free safety. Douglas and Co. deserve points for plucking a pair of offensive linemen - the center of the future (Joe Tippmann) and an experienced left tackle (Carter Warren).
No matter what the Jets did in the 2023 NFL Draft, it was going to be difficult to live up to the results of last year's selections. The 2022 class produced multiple immediate contributors headlined by the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (Garrett Wilson) and Defensive Rookie of the Year (Sauce Gardner).
RELEVANT LINKS:
Jets' Draft Tracker: Logging the Picks as They Happen
