With Rodgers Aboard, Jets Must Transition Fully To Win-Now Mode
But If They Stand Pat In The First Two Rounds...
With Aaron Rodgers officially on board the Jets flight into the upcoming season on the eve of the 2023 NFL Draft, you have to wonder if General Manager Joe Douglas will pivot into more of a Rams model.
Though the Jets don’t seem like an organization that approves of its personnel wearing “F$#@ Them Picks” t-shirts around the office, the philosophy could easily be implemented. After all, Rodgers, who will turn 40 in December, at best inartfully danced around the questions related to the length of his commitment to New York. From what I heard, whether the surefire Hall of Fame quarterback ends up playing one or two more seasons sounded like a jump ball. Like he always had during the latter of his 18 years in Green Bay, he’ll evaluate how his body feels and what he wants to do at some point after the coming season. Don’t expect the ultimate decision to come any sooner.
Therefore, it would behoove the Jets to immediately transition fully into a true “win-now” mode, as opposed to rolling the dice with their five draft picks, including the No. 15 overall selection in Thursday’s first round. Most experts do not consider this class to be exceptionally strong, so the odds that Douglas can hit on picks that will provide more help right away than veterans acquired in trades are slim.
In addition to his arm, Rodgers brings credibility to the Jets and the organization will only have a short window to take advantage of that. When Tom Brady moved to Tampa Bay in 2020, all of a sudden a host of reputable players on both sides of the ball wanted to join him there.
Douglas will have to perform some salary cap gymnastics to make any such acquisitions fit, but that’s what every team that considers itself a legitimate Super Bowl contender routinely does. Douglas has already restructured several Jets contracts this offseason, but he has been pretty careful not to overburden future seasons. On Wednesday, defensive lineman John Franklin Myers reportedly had $6 million of his 2023 base salary converted into a signing bonus, which saved the Jets about $4.8 million against the cap to help squeeze in Rodgers’ incoming number. More can be done.
However, the Jets brain trust is usually not the sharpest tool in the shed. Anything is on the table over the next few days. As such, below is my final Jets mock draft for the first two rounds using three simulators should they stand pat:
First round (No. 15 overall): Darnell Wright, Tackle (Tennessee)
None of the top three tackles were available in my simulations, but Wright isn’t an awful consolation prize. A bit of a late bloomer in college before settling in at right tackle last season, Wright’s tape against Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., a projected top five pick in this Draft, opened many scouts’ eyes. They claim he has road grader potential in the run game and ProFootballFocus.com ranked him third among Power 5 conference tackles in pressure percentage allowed, responsible for zero sacks in 507 pass block snaps. That a certain beat writer isn’t “getting strong vibes on Wright at 15” means nothing. Why would the Jets tip their hand to anyone if they secretly covet a player? Relying on Mekhi Becton to remain healthy all season, with 2022 fourth round pick Max Mitchell and sieve Cedric Ogbuehi as the only returning backups isn’t practical. If Douglas uses this premium pick, he must prioritize supporting Rodgers.
Second Round (No. 43 overall: Joe Tippmann, Center (Wisconsin)
I’m sticking with this pick even though the Jets just re-signed Connor McGovern, they’re starting center for the last three seasons. It was reportedly a 1-year commitment for approximately $1.9 million, so it was clearly intended to be a placeholder. And Tippmann could be ready to take McGovern’s place at any point this season as well. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler rated Tippmann the best center in his class whose quickness and athleticism is a match for the Jets’ schemes. PFF didn’t grade him as high, but that’s because he started the 2022 season a bit slow—his last five games were stellar, though. Again, the Jets can’t afford to take chances with their line given the turmoil they experienced last season.