Getty A group of Heisman finalists posing with the trophy ahead of an event.
The New York Jets could choose to go back to the well to solve their QB issues.
Woodward Sports analyst Matt B. presented a potential trade idea between Gang Green and the Detroit Lions ahead of draft day.
What if the Jets don’t land Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers? One possible idea could feature a blockbuster draft day trade-up.
Detroit Lions receive: a 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall), a 2023 second-round pick (No. 43 overall), a 2024 second-round pick
New York Jets receive: a 2023 first-round pick (No. 6 overall)
This trade would work according to the NFL Draft Value Chart. The Lions’ top pick is worth 1,600 points and the Jets’ collection of picks is worth 2,050 points.
Rarely do you ever get a perfect match with the value chart and that is even more difficult when you trade up for a quarterback. In this scenario, Gang Green would be trading up to select Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud.
CJ Stroud May Prove to Be the Exception to the Jets Rule
The Jets have made it clear that they’d like to acquire a veteran quarterback this offseason if the price is right.
That’ll be easier said than done.
While there are plenty of interesting names available, it takes two to tango. If the team misses out on one of those sexy options, another path could be the 2023 NFL draft.
In the 2021 NFL draft the Jets passed on a popular Ohio State quarterback (Justin Fields) to select a BYU passer (Zach Wilson). So far that hasn’t worked out and 2023 could provide an opportunity to rewrite history.
CJ Stroud stands in at 6-foot-3 and weighs 215 pounds. He spent three years at Ohio State but only got to really play over the last two seasons.
During that span the former Buckeye standout delivered some video game production:
- 85 touchdowns to 12 interceptions
- Threw for 8,123 passing yards
- Completed 69.3 percent of his passes
Beyond all of those impressive statistics, Stroud displayed a different level of mobility in the College Football Playoff that he hadn’t throughout his collegiate career.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said heading into that semifinal CFP game versus Georgia that Stroud was seen as a guy that “lacked the desire to run and could short-circuit when forced to play out of structure” but after the game, he said that he “disproved those criticisms.”
Social Media Reacts to Potential CJ Stroud-Jets Pairing
Some fans believe that it’ll cost even more to make that kind of trade up in the first round, especially at the quarterback position.
A Twitter user brought up the Sam Darnold draft trade from 2018 when the Jets gave up three second-round picks in addition to a first-round pick swap.
@BoyGreen25 I think it would cost more to get that high bc we are selecting a QB. I mean we paid just as much to go from 6 to 3 just a few years ago
Some fans are just tired of rookies in general. The Jets have had a combination of terrible luck, bad drafting, and bad development with a long list of young quarterbacks.
@BoyGreen25 Man I’m tired of trying rookies. Maybe stroud will be amazing. But man I need a real QB
A Twitter user confidently said that Stroud is his “QB1” and he’d be willing to select him as the top guy for the Jets. Heck, he even said if the team trades for Derek Carr he still might select Stroud.
It seems like depending on who you ask they like a different quarterback in this class. One Twitter user said Stroud is the “only franchise guy in this class” so he’d be fine with a trade-up scenario.
@OptimisticJets Well in my eyes strouds the only franchise guy in this class so I would be fine with that