The New York Jets have a tight end issue.
This isn’t squarely a 2021 problem, Gang Green hasn’t had a quality tight end in a very long time.
That void has never been more evident than throughout this season. Although this offseason provides a perfect opportunity to fix that.
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A Solution to a Long Term Problem
Bleacher Report’s lead NFL draft analyst Connor Rogers has been breaking down a ton of film and he has identified Trey McBride of Colorado State as “the best tight end” he has watched in this 2022 class yet.
“Athletic, high effort blocker, great hands, big run after catch threat, versatility in-line or slot.”
Underneath the tweet thread he was asked whether or not the Jets would be interested in his services to which Rogers replied, “with one of their second-rounders, it’s a no-brainer.”
Gang Green has their own second-rounder and the Carolina Panthers’ thanks to the Sam Darnold trade last offseason. Right now both of those picks are in the top-39 of the draft, per Tankathon.
In McBride’s four collegiate seasons he has put up some very solid production:
- 160 receptions
- 1,996 yards
- 10 touchdowns
The draft route would probably be the best long-term solution for the Jets.
McBride is only 22 years of age and he hasn’t come close to realizing his full potential. By selecting him you’d get a super cheap and young asset for the foreseeable future all the while developing his talents along the way.
The other option is to dive into the free agency waters to find a proven stud. While there are certainly benefits to that strategy by acquiring a more proven weapon, it will just cost a whole heck of a lot more.
Assets to Figure Things Out
There are no more excuses, the Jets need to solve this problem one way or another.
It is an absolute travesty that the key decision-makers looked at the tight end depth chart prior to the year and said to themselves, yeah that’ll work.
Quite frankly it was a super lazy effort to simply roll back with the leftovers in the fridge from 2020. The front office and coaches owe it to their fans and their quarterback to seriously invest in the position over the next couple of months.
There have been moments of solid play for this underwhelming group (like this past game versus the Miami Dolphins), but that seems more like an outlier. Every blind squirrel will eventually find a nut:
- Ryan Griffin: two catches for 39 yards (second on the team)
- Tyler Kroft: two catches for 35 yards
- Trevon Wesco: one reception for 19 yards
Fortunately the green and white have a slew of assets at their disposal to make sure that never happens again.
They are top-10 in 2022 cap space (per Over The Cap) and they have four picks in the top-39.
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Athletic Freak Tight End Would Be ‘No Brainer’ Pick for Jets, Says Analyst