Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting ahead of an NFL game.
The New York Jets’ interest in trading for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been well documented.
However, the plan at backup QB hasn’t been quite as clear.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic floated out the possibility of Gang Green trading up in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to find their signal caller of the future.
“[Joe] Douglas has never been afraid to go up and get a prospect he likes in the NFL draft.”
Rosenblatt then listed several prospects that would be the “most appealing” if they fell within range for the Jets to “go get them.”
One of those names was Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.
“If the Jets are looking for a quarterback of the future for whenever Rodgers retires, Richardson would be an ideal choice as someone who could use some seasoning for a year or two anywhere. He’s a freak athlete with great size (6-4, 232) and tools worth developing.”
Evaluating the Possibility of Jets Snagging Anthony Richardson in NFL Draft
In a separate column posted on Wednesday, April 5 Rosenblatt said that picking a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft “shouldn’t be entirely ruled out” and he specifically mentioned Richardson as a possibility.
However, he said the odds of that actually happening “are slim at best” instead suggesting a more realistic option would be selecting a passer “in the later rounds.”
Interestingly Richardson revealed during an interview on The Rich Eisen Show that he had an “informal meeting” with the Jets while he was in Indianapolis for the NFL combine.
Interesting: @GatorsFB QB Anthony Richardson (@GVOaant) had an informal meeting w/ the #Jets at the #NFLCombine he confirmed to @richeisen on the @RichEisenShow. 👀
The former Gators quarterback measured in at 6-foot-4 and weighed in at 244 pounds.
He ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any quarterback prospect (4.43), had the best broad jump among all passers (10′ 9″), and had the top vertical jump among all quarterbacks (40.50″).
Thinking About the Present & Future of Jets QB Situation
Aaron Rodgers will eventually fill the hole at QB1 for 2023, but what about QB2?
Head coach Robert Saleh speaking at the NFL’s annual league meetings said Zach Wilson will be that guy.
“The Jets, no matter what they say publicly, have moved on from the idea that Wilson is their long-term answer at quarterback,” Rosenblatt said in an article posted on Wednesday, April 5.
If that is true then it is paramount for the Jets to start thinking about the future.
In the simplest of terms the coaching staff worries about the present issues and the general manager thinks about both the present and the future of the organization.
Right now Chris Streveler is the only quarterback on the current roster not named Wilson.
If the Jets wanted Richardson they will likely have to trade up in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
One place to look is the Arizona Cardinals who hold the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft. However, trading up from No. 13 to No. 3 would be costly.
Arizona’s No. 3 pick is worth 2,200 points, according to the NFL draft value chart. New York’s No. 13 pick is worth 1,050 points so they’d have to make up that difference.
Both of their second-rounders (No. 42 and No. 43) would equate to an additional 950 points. Then they’d have to throw in a 2024 third-round pick to match up the point totals.
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Insider: Jets Could Pull off Rare Double QB Trade in 2023