'Turn Draft Upside Down!' Idea: Jets Trading Down?
After a disastrous 7-10 season in which they lost their star quarterback after only four snaps, the New York Jets need to shake things up.
A scathing report recently surfaced indicating front-office dysfunction to the point where coach Robert Saleh considered confiscating his assistants' cell phones to stop leaks to the media. And in the last two weeks both of general manager Joe Douglas' top lieutenants in the personnel department have bolted for other teams.
How do the Jets improve dramatically, and quickly? A uniform change is a start. Aaron Rodgers getting healthy is key. Owner Woody Johnson's (almost) playoff mandate provides urgent motivation.
But even more pressing, how about a draft-related trade?
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Bleacher Report this week proposed a deal it said could allow the Jets to "turn the 2024 NFL Draft upside down." We're all ears ...
The trade: Jets send their No. 10 overall pick and a fourth-rounder (111) to the Seattle Seahawks, in exchange for the 16th pick, two selections in the third round (78 and 81) and a fourth-rounder in 2025.
Hmm. A team desperate to win now usually doesn't trade down to get better now, but if the Jets make the move six spots back they essentially add three quality picks.
For Seattle, the trade allows a move up to draft University of Washington quarterback and local fan favorite Michael Penix Jr.
“Landing in a city like Seattle is the type of atmosphere Michael Penix Jr. could thrive in quickly,” BR writes. “Staying home in the Pacific Northwest wouldn’t be a bad gig for the Heisman runner-up in Penix, either.
But what's in it for the Jets? Quantity, hopefully laced with quality.
Thanks to the deal to acquire Rodgers last offseason, the Jets have only five picks in the draft and none in the second round. They could add more via compensatory picks, but those are likely to be sixth- or seventh-rounders. And they're shopping quarterback bust Zach Wilson to add more picks as well.
New York obviously doesn't need a quarterback - instead it covets a franchise left tackle and playmaking receivers - but the teams immediately behind it do. Sitting pretty at No. 10, the Jets could create a bidding war for its pick among No. 11 (Minnesota Vikings), No. 12 (Denver Broncos) and No. 13 (Las Vegas Raiders).
Or maybe even all the way down to No. 16 and the Seahawks.
Instead of limited assets, the Jets could wind up with four players in the Top 100 to assist Douglas in finding help for the 40-year-old Rodgers. We're not convinced the trade will turn the draft upside down, but at this point the Jets need to explore all options.
