The New York Jets pulled off a savvy forward-thinking move during the 2024 NFL draft.
General manager Joe Douglas flipped a 2024 fourth-rounder for a 2025 third-rounder in a trade with the Detroit Lions.
Trade comp: the Jets received a 2025 third-round pick from the Lions in exchange for 4-126. It’ll probably be a low 3, but still a good trade for the #Jets.
Douglas spoke about the decision to trade for future capital during a post-draft sitdown with Jets senior reporter Eric Allen.
“Just a few minutes before Miami had done a trade with Philadelphia where it was a fourth-round pick for next year’s three,” Douglas explained. “I was like man I wish someone would call and offer us something like that. Lo and behold five minutes later Detroit calls and they made a similar offer.”
JD continued by saying, “That third-round pick has legitimate value for us next year. You’d like to think with that pick you can locate a starter to help out your team.”
That Pick Could Help the Jets Make a Splash Move
In a May 1 column, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote about the biggest moves and decisions left to be made following the draft.
One of his questions was, “Will the Jets make one more splash for Aaron Rodgers?”
“Gang Green has added Mike Williams to a group that already included Garrett Wilson and now also contains [Malachi] Corley, but you have to wonder if they’re still holding out hope that Davante Adams could be up for grabs in Las Vegas for a potential reunion with Rodgers,” Gagnon said. “Of course, several other receivers are also potential trade candidates and could remain on the Jets’ radar throughout the next phase of the offseason, if not in the lead-up to the trade deadline.”
Gagnon then listed the Jets as a “potential suitor” for one of the other big-name wide receivers that could be traded either this offseason or ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
That list included Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins and both San Francisco 49ers playmakers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
The Jets Could Add a Win-Now Cherry to the Top of the Pie
The majority of the moves the Jets made during the 2024 NFL draft had the future in mind or was simply an insurance policy.
Not sexy.
The green and white boast one of the more talented rosters in football but it isn’t perfect. If you squint at the wide receiving corps there are some cracks in the foundation.
Head coach Robert Saleh said at the Annual League Meeting that Williams has a “long way to go” from his ACL recovery. Corley was called a “raw route runner” by Saleh at rookie minicamp. Those are two of the top three projected receivers on the depth chart.
Garrett Wilson is a bonafide star, but he’s only one man. In 2023, New York invested $44 million to lure Allen Lazard to the Big Apple. He has proven to be one of the biggest free agent busts in franchise history based on his first year with the team.
The rest of the group is littered with undrafted free agents and other unproven players. Another notable pass catcher could take this squad to the next level.
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Jets Have New Extra Ammo to Pull Off ‘Splash’ Trade