The New York Jets have already had an exciting offseason, and things are ramping up with the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away. Players are returning for voluntary workouts and general managers around the NFL are finalizing their draft boards. Jets GM Joe Douglas recently spoke to the media and dropped several interesting details.
Douglas spoke on the team's recent trade to acquire edge defender Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles. Reddick adds serious juice rushing the passer and makes the Jets' front four one of the scariest in the league.
“He's an electric presence off the edge,” Douglas said. “A consistent finisher … adding that explosive element and we already feel like we have some supercharged hellcats on that defense that can roll. That's just another one to add to the group.”
Douglas was asked about the possibility of drafting University of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 10th overall pick. Bowers has been a popular name mocked to the Jets in recent weeks, and Douglas seemed to confirm that the fit makes sense.
“The right type of tight end can be a real weapon,” Douglas said. He referred to Bowers as a Swiss army knife and spoke about how much stress a top-level tight end can put on the defense.
Speaking of voluntary workouts. Douglas has also confirmed that Zach Wilson is not in attendance, but the team still views him as an asset. The Jets are likely to remain open to trading the former second overall selection from a few years ago. However, there reportedly hasn't been much movement for the last few weeks, and it is hard to imagine a team wanting to part with something valuable to acquire Wilson.
What will the New York Jets do in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The Jets need to nail their picks in the 2024 NFL Draft to maximize their chances of winning right away with 40-year-old signal caller Aaron Rodgers.
New York has already invested significant resources this offseason to put talent around Rodgers next season. The Jets have reinforced their offensive line with the additions of guard John Simpson and left tackle Tyron Smith. They also traded for another tackle Morgan Moses. The team also added significant depth to their star-studded defense and traded for Haason Reddick as the finishing touch.
The Jets would benefit most from adding another weapon or two on offense. This is partially why New York is repeatedly linked with Bowers. He is a fantastic prospect with long-term upside who could also step in and contribute right away. That makes him a win-win option for the Jets. The top of the draft is expected to feature several quarterbacks, tackles, and wide receivers selected in the top 10. If that is true, then the hope for New York having the option to select Bowers at 10th overall is very real.
The Jets own the following picks in the 2024 NFL Draft:
- First round (10th overall)
- Third round (72nd overall)
- Fourth round (111th overall)
- Fourth round (134th overall) via Baltimore
- Sith round (185th overall)
- Seventh round (256th overall)
- Seventh round (257th overall)
The Jets only have two picks in the first two rounds of the draft. They will need to make them count if they want to make a magical run with Rodgers in 2024.
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