Jets Could Trade Down From No. 10 Pick In Upcoming Draft

For the New York Jets in 2023, it all went wrong very quickly. After signing with the team before the season, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in the opening drive of their Week 1 game. The team finished the year third in the AFC East with a 7-10 record, missing out on the playoffs many fans thought they were destined for.

Now, going into 2024, the Jets look ready to compete for a playoff spot again. With Rodgers set to be their starter, the team is reportedly looking to trade down from the No. 10 pick they have in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Even with the incoming quarterbacks leading the headlines, New York has its guy and will possibly trade that pick to another team in desperate need of a quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders each have the three picks directly after the Jets and are all potentially looking to trade up to add their next franchise leader. Minnesota also holds the No. 23 pick from the Houston Texans and could also use that as another trade offer to the Jets to replace now-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

By trading down just a few slots with one of these three teams, New York could instead land a top rookie receiver or offensive lineman to add to its offense, which already features Rodgers, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. With the team shying away from selecting another quarterback, the team could instead go after Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers as new targets for Rodgers downfield.

The Jets have a great defense and aren’t as worried about picking up talent through the draft. The team finished with the third-lowest total yards allowed and sixth-lowest passing touchdowns allowed. They were the only defense in the league to finish with at least three safeties throughout the year.

If the team can add a weapon on offense and keep the level of defensive play from 2023, they might have a bright future ahead. Yet, just like last year, their hopes also rely on the aging Rodgers who only played a total of four minutes last season. If he stays healthy, he’s shown he can lead a team to the conference championship game, but without Rodgers last year, the Jets had very limited success, specifically on offense. With Rodgers in New York’s quarterback room are Tyrod Taylor and Zach Wilson, and potentially a new rookie if the team decides to keep their pick and take one of the top passers.

Rodgers has said he wants to play “four more years” of football, and at 40 years old, he is now following in Tom Brady’s footsteps and playing until his body and brain say “no more.” Rodger’s career could end at any point with his age and recent injury, but that isn’t why he signed with the Jets. Rodgers partly left Green Bay because of the team’s choice to draft quarterback Jordan Love, as a sign of lack-of-faith in Rodger’s production over the next few years. Though he hasn’t played more than a quarter with the team, the Jets selecting a quarterback in the upcoming draft could lead to a similar situation to that with the Packers.

It is still unknown what exactly the Jets will do with their No. 10 overall pick in the upcoming draft, but they have options. They have three weeks to weigh those options before they have to make an official pick on April 27.

Article by Eli Gregorski