The New York Jets should fill these three needs before the draft
Joe Douglas is seemingly far from done wheeling and dealing for the New York Jets.
The acquisition of Haason Reddick signals that Douglas is systematically plugging the most important holes on the team. Theoretically, though, he could leave most of the remaining needs for the draft.
However, if the Jets want to give themselves maximum flexibility in the draft, they should prioritize filling some of those needs in free agency. In particular, I believe filling these three positions could truly let the Jets go in any direction with their selections — stay put, trade up, trade down, or take the best player available regardless of position.
No. 3 receiver
Right now, Allen Lazard is the Jets’ starting slot receiver. It’s unlikely that they’ll go into the season with that being the case. Still, for the team’s best roster, construction, they should acquire another receiver in free agency — someone who can take snaps away from Lazard if not entirely replace him in the starting lineup.
The best option available is Odell Beckham Jr. In 2023, Beckham had his most efficient season since 2018, posting 1.92 yards per route run and 16.1 yards per reception. He was productive out of the slot over his last two seasons even though he didn’t play there a ton. Beckham is still a deep threat on a lower volume. He might not be the clear-cut No. 3 receiver, but he and Lazard could rotate in and out, maximizing both players’ value on a lower target share.
Besides Beckham, Corey Davis could still provide value for the Jets. Robert Saleh indicated that the Jets have been in contact with Davis and would be interested in a reunion. With Mike Williams recovering from a torn ACL, Davis could give the Jets nice starting insurance on the outside. His excellent blocking would also be a plus in a team that apparently plans to run the football a lot. Davis was set to be an intriguing mid-range target for Aaron Rodgers before his sudden retirement in 2023, and he could bring that to the table again.
Of course, the Jets will likely take a receiver at some point in the draft. Still, if they sign someone to lower Lazard’s snap count, they’ll come into the draft with a lot more flexibility about which receiver to draft and when.
Swing tackle
The Jets can easily take their swing tackle at No. 10 overall. If they want to go in a different direction in the first round, though, their best bet is to sign a swing tackle beforehand. David Bakhtiari still seems likely to sign with the Jets, and perhaps that’s an okay enough move for the backup spot. I would prefer Cam Fleming (4.6% pressure rate in 2022), Andrus Peat (6.3% in 2023), Kendall Lamm (5.6%), or Chris Hubbard (6.2%).
If the Jets sign one of those players, some of the doubt surrounding the Jets’ injury risks should ease.
Safety
I’ve heard many Jets fans doubt Chuck Clark’s abilities as a starting safety. Considering that the Jets fielded a top-five defense with Jordan Whitehead at strong safety over the past two seasons, I don’t see that as a major concern.
Still, the Jets played a good chunk of big nickel in 2023, and after Saleh said they intend to add to the safety room, it seems this is still their plan. There are two ways they could approach the position, though: either adding a deep safety, moving Tony Adams and Clark into the box more often, or adding a third safety to play the sub-linebacker position in big nickel.
I suspect the Jets are looking at the latter. Ashtyn Davis wants an opportunity to start, but with starters like Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs, Eddie Jackson, Micah Hyde, Marcus Maye, Jayron Kearse, Tashaun Gipson, Kareem Jackson, and Julian Blackmon still available, it seems unlikely that he’ll find that opportunity. Davis was effective in the box in 2023 and is probably still on the Jets’ radar.
If they can’t bring back Davis, Blackmon is the next-best player to fit that role. He had a career year in the box in 2023. He could compete with Clark for a starting role.
For a deep safety, the Jets could look at Simmons, Diggs, or Gipson. Simmons and Diggs both have big reputations, but they were below average statistically in 2023. In many ways, Gipson is the best fit, as he allowed a paltry 4.0 yards per target as the 49ers’ free safety in 2023. Even entering his age-34 season, he could raise the floor of the Jets’ safety room with Adams still learning.
