The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books, capping off a remarkable week for the Jets.
It began with the news that an Aaron Rodgers trade finally had been agreed upon with the Packers. The team then had its biggest press conference in years on Wednesday to introduce the new quarterback. The draft followed over the next three days and the 2023 Jets are now pretty much whole. There will be transactions over the next four months before the season starts, but the heavy lifting is over.
Here are some of my takeaways from the draft:
1. The Jets addressed the offensive line in the second round with the selection of center Joe Tippmann and in the fourth round by taking tackle Carter Warren. Tippmann could be an immediate starter while Warren figures to be a backup as a rookie.
The offensive line and specifically the tackles remain the biggest question about this team. Mekhi Becton is returning after missing almost all of the past two seasons with knee injuries. Duane Brown will be 38 years old by Week 1 and is coming off shoulder surgery. The expectation was the Jets would take a tackle in the first round but Pittsburgh leapfrogged them and got Broderick Jones, the last of the top tackles on the board.
The Jets now have Tippmann and Connor McGovern competing at center. Alijah Vera-Tucker is at right guard, but is also coming back from surgery. Laken Tomlinson is at left guard and will look to improve after a disappointing first season with the Jets.
All in all, there are not a lot of sure things playing in front of Aaron Rodgers at this point.
“The one thing we feel like we have right now in the offensive line room is a lot of versatility,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We have guys that can play multiple spots. We have time between now and training camp. We’re going to see them. [Offensive line coach] Keith Carter is getting his hands on them for the first time starting Monday. [Offensive coordinator] Nathaniel Hackett is going to get to see all these guys moving around, so it’s really just getting our best five on the field and just making sure it’s an open competition because it’s got a chance to be a really good group, but again, we have to figure out how best to utilize each player and it’s going to take time between now and training camp.”
2. Last year’s draft had a ton of sizzle for the Jets. They landed the Rookie of the Year on both sides of the ball in Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson. They added a third first-round pick by trading up for Jermaine Johnson. Then, they traded up in the second round for one of the best running backs in the draft — Breece Hall.
This year fell flat in comparison. That does not mean it will not be a good draft. It just wasn’t all that exciting.
It is a sign of how far the Jets’ roster has come, though, that they did not have to reach for need. They could add depth pieces and still feel good about it. Will McDonald might not have an immediate impact but could be a terrific player for them in 2-3 years. That is how you can draft when your roster does not look like an expansion team’s like the Jets’ did just a few years ago.
3. I grade on logic when it comes to the draft. I have no idea if these players will be any good. But I liked Douglas’ approach on Day 3. First, it was smart to trade back twice and get more picks. Next, he took some risks on players coming off of injuries like Warren and Zack Kuntz and drafted some players with crazy athleticism. Day 3 picks are lottery tickets. Douglas rolled the dice on a few of these guys but he could win big.
4. The one big surprise for me is the Jets did not come out of this draft with a defensive tackle. That position is thin beyond Quinnen Williams. I wonder if the Jets could convert a player like Micheal Clemons to defensive tackle as a way to fill the void.
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May 01, 2023 at 07:47AM
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Jets filled roster holes in dull way, rolled the dice a few times in 2023 NFL Draft - New York Post
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