Finding first-round value in the NFL draft is always a complex and multi-faceted ordeal.
Some teams prefer to select the best available players once they are on the clock—even if they are in positions of lesser statistical or monetary value. Other teams ignore lesser-valued areas, choosing instead to draft positions of both need and key value.
The New York Jets are a team kind of in the middle. With the seventh overall pick this offseason, the Jets are stuck in the same position they were in last season.
When they make their selection, Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey will have to decide between a high-value position (tackle) and one of lesser value (tight end).
Last year’s plight
When the 2024 draft came along, New York had to decide between taking left tackle Olu Fashanu or tight end Brock Bowers with the 10th (but ultimately 11th) overall pick.
The Jets opted to choose Fashanu over Bowers while understanding the importance of drafting offensive linemen. Based on positional value, New York understood the club’s future was better off with an anchor rather than a top pass-catcher.
Deja vu has struck again in Florham Park, NJ, this offseason. The Jets have to determine if they want to take a player like offensive tackle Armand Membou and Will Campbell or tight end Tyler Warren.
In reality, though, when New York does make its selection, it should only focus on two positions.
Offensive line
The 2025 season showed just how important having a full collection of high-valued offensive linemen within a group can be for an offense. An elite offensive line can get the most out of mediocre talent every day of the week.
When an offensive line isn’t good enough, even the elite quarterbacks in the league can falter. That’s precisely what happened to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Kansas City may have had a great collection of receivers and the best quarterback in football, but it meant little when their offensive line needed to step up.
There’s really no difficult decision here. If Campbell or Membou is available, the Jets must select one of the two. There is always a drop-off between later-round picks at the same position compared to first-round targets.
The Jets could finally put a young and athletic line in front of their young offensive core by solidifying the offensive line with the final piece of the puzzle. When the team finds their future quarterback, they wouldn’t have to worry about finding proper players to protect that asset either.
Defensive line
The Jets have not found a defensive tackle to match consistently with Quinnen Williams for years now.
A defensive tackle like Mason Graham can be the kind of anchor on the defensive line that would be a perfect fit for New York going into 2025 and beyond. While Graham would essentially be playing a similar role at the 3-tech that Williams runs, improved coaching alone can get him ready to be an every-down player alongside the All-Pro.
Teams get what they pay for when it comes to drafting defensive tackles. First-round picks can be All-Pro players. Late-round selections are only filled to do certain things throughout their career.
The Glenn-Mougey regime should seek an every-down player.
Notice we also labeled it as a defensive line and not just a tackle; that’s because edge rushers and defensive tackles are highly valuable to elite-level defenses. You can never have too many edge rushers or defensive tackles.
It’s why, if Campbell and Membou are off the board at seven, the Jets should then set their sights along the defensive line as a response.
Why not a tight end?
The biggest argument heard when Jets fans state their goal of getting a playmaker is the belief that the team will be unable to put up points without a quality pass catcher over the middle of the field.
That isn’t the correct way to look at things, though.
If the Jets were to draft Warren, they would be selecting a tight end over a plug-and-play starter along the offensive line. Tight ends at the NFL level need time to develop and learn how to handle complex route trees and run blocking schemes across the board.
Almost every tight end needs time to develop based on that reality.
Offensive tackles are much different. While learning proper footwork and schematic discipline takes time, it’s far more likely to get impactful snaps from rookie tackles compared to rookie tight ends.
While Bowers may have been an outlier last season, Warren isn’t the same kind of prospect. And it’s why the tight end position shouldn’t be the choice when the Jets make their pick at seven.
