Ex-Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Named Biggest Loser of NFL Draft

The Green Bay Packers will likely struggle in the aftermath of trading Aaron Rodgers, but it won’t be all sunshine and smiles for the QB in the Big Apple next year.

The New York Jets got their man when they closed the deal for Rodgers just three days before the NFL Draft, but it is hard to argue that what general manager Joe Douglas gave Green Bay in return didn’t significantly hurt the Jets’ prospects in 2023.

New York agreed to a pick swap that pushed the team back from No. 13 to No. 15 overall in the first round. A subsequent maneuver saw the Pittsburgh Steelers trade with the New England Patriots in the No. 14 spot and select left tackle Broderick Jones out of Georgia, who was widely considered to be New York’s primary target. Jones was the fourth offensive lineman selected and the last one to warrant a pick in the Jets’ range, as the next player selected at the position was Anton Harrison by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 27.

As a result, Bill Barnwell of ESPN named Rodgers first among the losers of this year’s draft in an article published Wednesday, May 3.

“I don’t think Jets general manager Joe Douglas got what he wanted for his new quarterback,” Barnwell wrote. “Douglas wasn’t able to add the high-end tackle solution he had hoped.”

Jets’ Roster Short on O-Line Answers For QB Aaron Rodgers

GettyOffensive tackle Duane Brown of the New York Jets.

The Jets got Rodgers some O-line help later on in the draft, picking center Joe Tippmann in round two and selecting tackle Carter Warren in round four. But New York still has serious questions to answer when it comes to protecting Rodgers and the franchise remains short a good answer.

As the calendar rolls into May, the top tackles on the Jets’ roster are Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton. Brown is a five-time Pro Bowler who last earned the honor in 2021, but he will play next season at 38 years old. Becton was a first-round pick three years ago, though New York declined to pick up his fifth-year option for 2024, which reveals a good deal about how the Jets view him as a player.

Perhaps more concerning for New York than its inability to secure a quality tackle in the draft is that the Jets fell short of something their new quarterback specifically requested. Rodgers reached out to the Jets front office prior to the finalization of his trade and advised the team not to sacrifice the No. 13 pick so that they could instead use it to procure an offensive tackle.

While the Jets didn’t trade the pick exactly, the pick swap to which they agreed opened the door for Jones to slip through their fingers, which is exactly what happened with a little help from their AFC East Division rivals in New England.

Jets Reunite Ex-Packers OT Billy Turner With Aaron Rodgers

GettyOffensive tackle Billy Turner, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, has joined quarterback Aaron Rodgers as a member of the New York Jets.  

Following the draft, the Jets added former Packers offensive tackle Billy Turner on a one-year contract. Turner started for three years in Green Bay between 2019-21, but the team dismissed him two offseasons past in favor of salary cap savings. He played his age-31 season with the Denver Broncos in 2022, though he missed more than half the campaign due to a knee injury he suffered while a member of the Packers.

Even with the additions of Turner and Warren, Barnwell doesn’t believe the Jets have enough at the tackle position to feel confident heading into 2023.

“The interior of the line should be sound, but there are major questions about whether the tackles will be able to hold up in New York this season,” Barnwell wrote.