The Jets have been fairly active this free agency but have much further to go if they truly wish to compete.
So far, they have added Center Connor McGovern and offensive tackle George Fant while re-signing cornerback Brian Poole and offensive lineman Alex Lewis.
Clearly, general manager Joe Douglas has been focusing on improving their offensive line for the sake of Sam Darnold‘s career and for the sake of Le’Veon Bell‘s performance.
Yes, the moves they have made are nice … but they are not sufficient.
The Jets will be looking in the draft to improve their offensive line, receiving, and the defensive backfield. For starters, the Jets are projected by many to take left tackle Andrew Thomas with their 11th overall pick. That will enable them to use George Fant as a part-time player or slide him to the right tackle position, which would on its own be a decent improvement.
Brooklyn native Isaiah Wilson (Georgia) is a good fit with the 68th overall pick. He is a versatile right tackle and would potentially save the Jets the hassle of spending on a viable starter.
With those moves, the Jets would line up from left to right in the following manner:
Andrew Thomas, LT
Brian Winters, LG
Connor McGovern, C
Alex Lewis, RG
Isaiah Wilson, RT
This would protect Darnold much better and should give the Jets an extra couple of wins on its own.
Now, let’s focus on the rest of the team. The Jets are pretty much set on offense besides receivers. They should draft wide receiver Tee Higgins with their 48th pick. The 6-foot-4, 216-pound Clemson product has the potential to turn into a top receiver and would be a great gamble at No. 48.
Next, the Jets should re-sign Robby Anderson. He can get a deal somewhere in the range of four years and $52 million and would bring familiarity to Sam Darnold.
Lastly, the Jets should sign another depth receiver in Nelson Agholor to a three-year, $19 million deal. With a lineup of Anderson, Higgins, Crowder, and Agholor at receiver, Bell at running back, and Chris Herndon, Ryan Griffin, and Travis Wesco at tight end, the Jets would have a much-improved receiving corps for Darnold. Especially with that offensive line, the Jets’ offense looks to be set.
The last component of the Jets that needs to be addressed but to a lesser degree is the defense. The Jets are set at safety with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. At linebacker, they are set with Avery Williamson, C.J. Mosley, Frankie Luvu, and Blake Cashman. The only spot they should add to is the cornerback position.
The cornerbacks currently are Darryl Roberts and Brian Poole. They should go and get one more as they swoop up someone like Xavier Rhodes on a two-year, $18 million deal. That would shore up the cornerback position.
Overall, the Jets are in a better position than people realize and with these moves, they can be contenders for the first time in a while.
One Response
Great Writeup, Yehuda. J! E! T! S!