NY Jets’ top FA targets left: Tyron Smith, Mike Williams and more

Who is left for the New York Jets on the fifth day of free agency?

We have reached the fifth day of free agency (beginning with the legal tampering window that opened on Monday) and the New York Jets have added six new players, one of them via trade. You can track all the Jets’ offseason moves here – in this article, I will focus on who the Jets can still add.

General manager Joe Douglas still has plenty to do this offseason, including major priorities at left tackle and wide receiver. Additionally, they could choose to upgrade at safety, backup running back, and the backup offensive line. They will also likely seek role players along the defensive line.

While plenty of players have come off the board, there are still several intriguing options the Jets could seek to add. In this article, I will focus on the remaining free agent options as well as notable trade targets. The rankings are subjective and should not be taken as an official ranking.

Wide Receiver

Wide receiver has been the hottest market in the NFL this offseason. Most of the top free agents quickly signed with new teams while three trades saw impact players moved for Day 3 picks. However, several players are still available, with two more intriguing options added since Wednesday.

1. Mike Williams
2. Tyler Boyd
3. K.J. Osborn
4. Odell Beckham Jr.
5. Michael Thomas
6. Josh Reynolds
7. Corey Davis
8. D.J. Chark
9. Hunter Renfrow
10. Marquez Valdes-Scantling

The two top options remaining are former Mike Williams and Tyler Boyd. Adding either would put the Jets in a much better position heading into 2024.

Both are 29 years old and have had two seasons with over 1,000 yards. Williams has the higher ceiling, averaging 72 yards per game over the past three seasons, and he is arguably a better complement to Wilson thanks to his contested catch skills and field-stretching ability. However, he tore his ACL in Week 3 and has a higher injury risk.

Boyd was the top option in Cincinnati before he was unseated by Tee Higgins (who is available for trade) and then pushed further down the depth chart by Ja’Marr Chase. Still, he was a solid starter out of the slot for Cincinnati over the past three years.

After that, the remaining players are best suited as No. 3 receivers or depth. Most have some upside but also enough injury concerns that the Jets can’t rely on them as solutions.

Offensive Line

Guard has been another hot market but the offensive tackle market has been relatively slow. The Jets traded for Morgan Moses to fill their right tackle spot and there is speculation of Alijah Vera-Tucker moving to left tackle. However, the Jets still need a starting left tackle until that’s official, and they need depth regardless.

1. T Tyron Smith
2. G Kevin Zeitler
3. T Trent Brown
4. C Connor Williams
5. T/G Andrus Peat
6. T Yosh Nijman
7. G Dalton Risner
8. T Mekhi Becton
9. T David Bakhtiari
10. T Donovan Smith
11. T Josh Jones
12. C Evan Brown

There are still several capable starters in this group. Tyron Smith would be a huge signing, as he is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, but he has injury concerns. Zeitler, Brown, Williams, and Peat are also starting options the Jets could pursue. After that, the remaining players would be preferable as depth to maintain flexibility with the tenth overall pick in the draft.

Safety

The safety market has quality players that many fans won’t recognize. Several veteran stars are available as well, even if they’re not quite as good as they once were. The Jets could look to upgrade over Chuck Clark and Tony Adams or improve the depth behind them.

1. Julian Blackmon
2. Jordan Fuller
3. Tashaun Gipson
4. Justin Simmons
5. Mike Edwards
6. Micah Hyde
7. Quandre Diggs
8. Ashtyn Davis

It’s unlikely they’ll splurge but another addition wouldn’t be surprising. The safety market has been becoming depressed so the Jets could add a quality player without breaking the bank.

Running Back

Most of the star running backs have gone off the board but the Jets already have theirs in Breece Hall. However, they could use depth behind him, ideally a power back for short yardage.

1. J.K. Dobbins
2. Alexander Mattison
3. Ezekiel Elliott
4. Damien Harris
5. Kareem Hunt
6. Cam Akers
7. Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Dobbins is the most exciting option but he’s a walking injury concern. After him are depth options that fill various roles.

Other remaining free agents

There are several top players still available in free agency, although many of them are at positions of strength for the Jets. New York could choose to bolster depth with quality players on affordable contracts as free agency slows down.

1. DE Jadeveon Clowney
2. CB Stephon Gilmore
3. DE Chase Young
4. DT Teair Tart
5. CB Adoree Jackson
6. LB Jerome Burk
7. CB Tre’Davious White
8. DE Yannick Ngakoue
9. DE Emanuel Ogbah

The Jets are reportedly preparing to host Clowney on a visit next week.

New York has around $26 million in cap space after signing C.J. Mosley to a new contract, per Over The Cap. They can still open more space through further contract restructured or trades. That gives them plenty of flexibility to continue improving the roster.

The Jets went 7-10 after losing Aaron Rodgers and looked uncompetitive for much of the season. They can’t rely on Rodgers to fix all their problems. Joe Douglas must maximize the Jets’ available resources to give the franchise its best possible chance of reaching the playoffs.