Jets Should Have Made Bold Play For This QB In 2025 Draft, Says NFL Exec

Will New York regret passing up this opportunity?

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets helmets during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

There are infinite permutations each NFL team's draft class can take, and only time will tell which decisions were right and wrong.

The New York Jets had a strategy coming into last week's draft, and they stuck to it. Rather than looking for a potential quarterback of the future, they loaded up the offense in the early rounds to try and give four-year veteran Justin Fields a chance to succeed as their new starter.

Fields has flashed some promise early in his career with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. But even if he plays well in New York, there's an NFL executive out there who believes the Jets missed out on a crucial opportunity.

On Thursday, The Athletic's Mike Sando compiled draft reviews of each AFC team, including quotes from anonymous NFL executives. And one exec in particular believes that New York should have drafted a quarterback who wound up heading to the Seattle Seahawks in the third round.

“I thought the Jets should have been in play for Jalen Milroe,” the exective told Sando. “They draft Membou, so they are prioritizing the line of scrimmage a second year in a row.

"They are going to be a clear running threat with Justin Fields, but when you play that way, you open him up to potential injury. Milroe would let them continue playing that style.”

Milroe, 22, passed for 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions at Alabama this past season, but added 20 more touchdowns on the ground. He's not as explosive a runner as Fields, but at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, he can be tough to bring down, and he's effective in short-yardage situations.

There's no telling whether Milroe will play at all in year one in Seattle, so it could be a long time, if ever, before we see how this exec's take ages. But Fields' performance is all that matters to the Jets now, and New York is hoping 2025 marks the start of a turnaround.

More NFL: Aaron Rodgers Predicted To Choose AFC Rival After Messy Divorce With Jets