New York Jets’ Draft Preview: Breaking Down Their Picks and Needs for the 2024 NFL Draft

The New York Jets have the 10th pick in the NFL Draft when the first round begins April 25 in Detroit. The Jets own seven total picks in the seven-round draft.

Jets’ draft picks

RoundPickOverallNotes

1

10

10

3

8

72

4

11

111

4

35

135

From Ravens

6

9

185

7

36

256

Compensatory

7

37

257

Compensatory

— The Beast is coming! Keep your eyes peeled for Dane Brugler’s annual guide to the NFL Draft, publishing Wednesday, April 10.

Full draft order

Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.

NFL Draft details

• Round 1: April 25, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 26, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 27, noon ET

All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.

About the Jets

• Head coach: Robert Saleh (fourth season)
• General manager: Joe Douglas
• Last year’s record: 7-10

The Jets’ story in 2023 was much the same as in 2022 — only it was supposed to be so much different with Aaron Rodgers. When Rodgers went down four plays into the season, Zach Wilson stepped in and the Jets finished with a 7-10 record, again, with a bad offense, again, and an elite defense, again. This is a team with arguably the most talented roster in the AFC East on paper, especially after offseason additions like tackle Tyron Smith, wide receiver Mike Williams, defensive end Haason Reddick and tackle Morgan Moses. But the Jets have won many offseasons that didn’t lead to much regular-season success. Most of their new players come attached with injury risk, and there is still the question of how a 40-year-old Rodgers will look coming off an Achilles injury. Even so, this is a roster without many holes, which is notable work by Douglas.

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Jets’ key position needs

Wide receiver: Garrett Wilson is locked in as the Jets’ No. 1 wide receiver and Williams is a perfect complement … if he can stay healthy coming off an ACL injury. He won’t even be ready for the start of training camp. The Jets’ other receivers are either unproven (Xavier Gipson, Jason Brownlee) or disappointing (Allen Lazard). This position needs to be a priority in a draft that’s considered deep at the position.

Offensive tackle: Yes, the Jets added two obvious upgrades in Smith and Moses, but both have injury questions and neither is signed beyond the 2024 season. The Jets need to protect themselves better than they have the last couple of years, which is why a tackle in the first round can’t be ruled out as a possibility.

Running back: The Jets last year waited until August to sign Dalvin Cook as Breece Hall’s backup and that didn’t work out very well. Second-year pro Israel Abanikanda should be ready for a bigger role but Saleh has said the Jets will add to the RB room.

Safety: Jordan Whitehead walked in free agency, so right now the Jets’ only real options at safety are Tony Adams and Chuck Clark.

Quarterback: The Jets have the oldest quarterback room in the NFL with Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, who turns 35 in August. Zach Wilson won’t be returning, so Douglas should perhaps consider adding a rookie quarterback to develop at some point in this draft.

Jets draft analysis

Jets 7-round NFL mock draft: What happens if team trades back from No. 10?

Jets 2024 NFL Draft big board: Brock Bowers, Marvin Harrison Jr. and other Round 1 options

Would the Jets draft a quarterback at No. 10?

The Jets need to get Garrett Wilson help at wide receiver. What are their options?

Jets mock draft: 6 picks, with a prospect and a trade target for each

TE Brock Bowers is an option if the Jets pass on offensive tackle at No. 10. (Steve Limentani / ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The Athletic’s most recent mock drafts

April 8: Nick Baumgardner’s mock draft
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is tempting, but Baumgardner looks to the O-line for the Jets at No. 10.

April 4: Bruce Feldman’s mock draft
Does Feldman go wide receiver, tight end or offensive line at No. 10?

March 25: Ben Standig’s mock draft
The Jets shore up offensive tackle by taking Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga at No. 10.

March 21: Beat writer mock draft 2.0
Zack Rosenblatt chooses a tight end at No. 10, selecting Bowers.

March 6: NFL GMs, execs mock draft’s top 10
Bowers is the popular choice here too for the Jets.

March 5: Dane Brugler’s post-combine mock draft
Brugler fills the Jets’ offensive tackle hole with Penn State’s Olu Fashanu.

Feb. 22: Beat writer mock draft 1.0
Fuaga is the pick again at No. 10.

Will McDonald will get more opportunities in 2024 to show why he was a first-round pick. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)

Jets’ last five top picks

2023: DE Will McDonaldpick No. 15 — McDonald barely played as a rookie (184 defensive snaps) while some players at positions of need picked after him, namely at wide receiver, thrived in their first year. But McDonald will get a shot in 2024 with Bryce Huff’s departure and there will be pressure on him to, well, bring pressure off the edge.

2022: CB Sauce Gardnerpick No. 4 — He might go down as the best draft pick in Jets history when all is said and done, in one of the team’s best-ever draft classes, too — Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Jermaine Johnson were also picked this year. Gardner is already a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022. Many would argue he’s already the best cornerback in the NFL.

2021: QB Zach Wilsonpick No. 2 — Three years later, the Jets are already looking to move on from Wilson, who has been benched multiple times for quarterbacks not even considered starting caliber. If his Jets career is over, his final numbers are underwhelming: 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, 25 interceptions and a 57 percent completion rate in 34 games.

GO DEEPER

Will the Jets ever trade Zach Wilson? Examining possible outcomes, who might want him

2020: OT Mekhi Bectonpick No. 11 — His Jets career was defined by his struggles to stay healthy, or in shape. He missed all but one game in 2021 and 2022, as well as chunks of his rookie year. He played 16 games in 2023 but his performance dwindled as the season progressed and he led the NFL in sacks allowed.

2019: DT Quinn Williamspick No. 3 — A rare home run from former general manager Mike Maccagnan. Williams has developed into one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles and showed no signs of slowing down after signing a lucrative extension last summer.

(Top photo of Brock Bowers: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)

2024-04-09 22:26:43
#York #Jets #NFL #Draft #guide #Number #picks #predictions #key

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