Why Ikem Ekwonu's Availability Is Key to First Round For Jets
While every NFL team enters the NFL draft each year with different picks and different priorities, every organization has to answer the same question.
When it's their turn to be on the clock, clubs must decide if they want to pick the best player available or address positions of need.
For the Jets, this annual conundrum is especially pertinent entering the 2022 NFL draft. New York has four picks in the first 38 selections, a "special" opportunity—as general manager Joe Douglas recently put it—to propel this franchise closer to contention.
So, what does New York need? They could certainly benefit from adding a top-ranked prospect to their defensive line, perhaps picking a cornerback to cover the talented receivers in their division. The Jets are also coveting an elite wide receiver, something they've made clear all offseason while pursuing Tyreek Hill (and now potentially Deebo Samuel).
READ: Three Trade Proposals For Jets to Acquire San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel
Making a pick to fill a need isn't how Douglas operates, though. The GM is a believer in the "best player available" mantra through and through. Just last week, in his pre-draft presser, Douglas said picking on the basis of need is a recipe for disaster.
"I think you get in trouble if you’re breaking it up by position in need," Douglas told reporters. "I think you have to take best player available. Ozzie [Newsome] used to always having a saying, 'A luxury today can be a necessity tomorrow.' If you get away from your process, if you get away from your board, I think that’s when you can get into a real jam."
That quote from Douglas brings us to a report from DJ Bien-Aime II of the New York Daily News. According to Bien-Aime, Douglas and the Jets won't pass on NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu if he is available at No. 4 in the first round on Thursday night.
ESPN's Rich Cimini added this week that Douglas is "smitten" for Ekwonu, a prospect many consider to be the best offensive player in this year's class.
That in mind, Ekwonu is the key to the first round for New York.
If the Jaguars, Lions and Texans each pass on Ekwonu with the first three picks of the draft, New York will in all likelihood pounce on the offensive lineman. Douglas loves to build through the trenches, picking lineman in the first round of each of his first two drafts at the helm. This would be an on-brand selection for him.
Should one of those three teams pick Ekwonu before New York gets the chance, however, Douglas and his staff can refer back to their big board, deciding which remaining prospect is the best player available. That's the beauty of picking fourth overall. Either way, they're only missing out on three prospects in a class that's considered deep at multiple positions.
Ekwonu going before No. 4 would guarantee that either Aidan Hutchinson, Travon Walker or Kayvon Thibodeaux would be available for Gang Green as well, if they want a pass rusher.
New York's situation on the offensive line is comparable to that quote Douglas referenced last week. While having two starters at the two tackle spots gives them a luxury for right now, with several months remaining until the 2022 season begins, last year proved just how quickly that situation can turn into a necessity.
Mekhi Becton, the No. 11 overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft, went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 last year. There are concerns about his weight and inability to stay on the field, casting a shadow over the promising performance he put together up front during his rookie season.
Meanwhile, George Fant is expected to compete for the starting left tackle spot this year after a productive campaign in 2021, helping to fill the void in Becton's absence. Can he replicate that reliability again this year, the final season of his current contract with the Jets?
Adding Ekwonu would give New York a logjam at the tackle position. Ekwonu appears to have a higher ceiling than both of those aforementioned lineman, though. Considering this team isn't ready to contend right away, passing on an opportunity to pick a player that can hold it down at one of the tackle spots for years to come feels like it would be a mistake.
It would also be quite the admission by Douglas, especially if they move on from Becton with a trade. Becton is only 23 and still has the ability to be a stud in this league. Starting Fant on the bench as a swing tackle is an alternative—granted keeping Fant on the sideline with his $11.1 million cap hit would be less than ideal.
The bottom line here is that Ekwonu's availability at No. 4 puts that conversation into the forefront for Douglas. If he's not there for the taking, odds are the Jets roll with an EDGE or cornerback or they make a surprise selection depending on their internal evaluations. If he is, and Douglas does love the tackle as much as these reports indicate, it'll be virtually impossible for the GM not to pull the trigger.
Then, they can figure out what they want to do with playing time or if they want to make a trade. For a team that's focused on surrounding their young quarterback with weapons, protecting him is just as important. An offensive line with Alijah Vera-Tucker, Laken Tomlinson and Ekwonu, in addition to Becton and Fant, is loaded, poised to give Zach Wilson all the time he needs in his second season and beyond.
MORE:
- 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Aidan Hutchinson Slips to Jets at No. 4, New York Trades Up in First Round
- 2022 NFL Draft: Ex-Jets Scout Predicts Three Blockbuster Trades in Final First Round Mock
- How This Mekhi Becton Rumor Changes the Jets' Draft Strategy
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