Getty New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson making a move during an NFL game.
The New York Jets might be thinking about executing a historic trade during the upcoming 2023 NFL draft.
Joe Douglas has never traded down during his tenure as the Gang Green general manager. However, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic believes he could strongly consider it this year “to replenish the draft capital” expected to be lost in a potential Aaron Rodgers trade with the Green Bay Packers.
Baltimore Ravens receive: a 2023 first-rounder (No. 13 overall)
New York Jets receive: a 2023 first-rounder (No. 22 overall), a 2023 third-rounder (No. 86 overall), a 2023 fourth-rounder (No. 124 overall), and a 2024 third-round draft choice
The NFL Stock Exchange Podcast has said throughout the offseason that the Ravens are a “likely” trade-up candidate in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Evaluating the Proposed Deal Between Ravens, Jets
According to the NFL draft value chart, the Jets’ No. 13 overall pick is worth 1,150 points.
Baltimore holds the No. 22 overall pick and that is worth 780 points according to that same chart.
The Ravens don’t have a second-rounder in this year’s draft due to their prior trade for linebacker Roquan Smith in the Chicago Bears deal.
So here is what they would need to move to make this trade-up with the Jets possible:
- 2023 third-rounder (No. 86 overall)
- 2023 fourth-rounder (No. 124 overall)
- 2024 third rounder
That combination of picks would add up to 1,183 points and the Jets’ pick is worth 1,150. So it would be the slightest overpay by the Ravens, but it’s important to note that the value chart is a guideline more so than a hard-fast rule.
The Why Behind a Jets-Ravens Trade in 2023
Technically Aaron Rodgers isn’t a member of the Jets yet, but the full expectation is at some point he will be.
Green Bay is going to have to be compensated mainly through draft compensation. While it seems unlikely it’ll include the No. 13 overall pick, Rosenblatt believes it will include one of the team’s second-rounders (either No. 42 or No. 43).
One way the Jets could make up for any picks lost in this year’s or even next year’s draft would be via a trade-back scenario.
Remember Gang Green also lost its third-rounder (No. 74 overall) in the trade with Cleveland for Elijah Moore.
This deal with Baltimore would allow them to regain that third-rounder, add a fourth-rounder, and add a pick for the future.
The Jets have fewer needs than they have had in the past, so this will allow them to add some depth pieces throughout the draft class.
While on the Ravens side of things they could use some star power and they’re unlikely to find it at No. 22 overall. Instead, they can launch inside the top-13 to select one of the top talents available in April’s draft.
It is not often this can occur but this has the potential for a true win-win on both sides.
General manager Joe Douglas spent the first 15 years of his NFL career with the Ravens organization and that included a Super Bowl championship ring. When you spend that long in one location you often build some strong relationships. Those ties normally make potential trades easier to figure out.