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If you’re a diehard New York Jets fan, the NFL draft probably can’t come fast enough. NYJ draft speculation has been rabid since November considering the franchise’s 2021 record and the two top-10 selections this April.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are officially 10 days away. Yes, the wait is almost over but the rumor mill is pumping more consistently than ever as the rest of the league has caught up to New York’s extensive coverage of the rookie event.
It’s time for last-minute scouting reports and pro comparisons, prospect targets and scheme fits, and of course, one more blockbuster trade scenario hypothesized by an NFL expert.
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Bucky Brooks Links Jets & Packers as Trade Partners to Watch
So long as Robert Saleh is the head coach of the Green & White and Matt LaFleur holds the same position with the Green Bay Packers, the two franchises will have ties that go beyond the game of football.
Forget for a moment that LaFleur’s little brother is the offensive coordinator for the Jets. Saleh also chose the Packers’ HC to serve as the best man at his wedding. These bonds go deep, and their current draft needs in 2022 could set these organizations up to add trade partners to that list of known associations.
The suggestion came from ex-NFL player and scout turned analyst, Bucky Brooks, detailing a “possible first-round trade to watch for” on an NFL Network segment called “Path to the Draft.”
“You never see the Green Bay Packers draft a wide receiver in the first round,” began Brooks, “so [I’m gonna] go big and bold and say we trade both of those first-round picks — 22 and 28 — we move up to 10 with the Jets, and we take Drake London.”
Hold the phone, I thought London was a home-run target for Gang Green at No. 10? He still could be, but this deal would make sense for those that believe this wide receiver class is more well-rounded than top-heavy.
According to the NFL draft value chart, this blockbuster move would be relatively fair — 1,300 NYJ points compared to 1,440 GB points — if the Packers elect to send both firsts to New York for the No. 10 pick. Joe Douglas could toss in a fourth-round selection if you need a sweetener to make it work but teams generally do overpay for a top-10 pick.
Brooks reasoned that after the Sammy Watkins signing, Green Bay still needs a big-bodied weapon for Aaron Rodgers. The USC product could become that red zone threat for the Packers, but where does that leave the Jets?
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3 First-Round Selections Opens World of Possibilities
If Douglas ever did decide to move down in a swap like this, he’d be sacrificing a potential blue-chip prospect for more bullets in the chamber.
Earlier today, beat reporter Connor Hughes of The Athletic wrote the following while grading a Garrett Wilson selection at No. 10 overall:
The Jets have made it abundantly clear this offseason they prefer to trade for a receiver. They were in on Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley and Tyreek Hill. They’ve made calls on A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf. Their failure to sign any — albeit through no fault of their own — forces them to draft Garrett Wilson. That’s the only reason this grade is a C. Douglas and Saleh believe it usually takes wideouts a couple of years to reach their potential in the NFL. They want someone to help quarterback Zach Wilson now.
He also reiterated that a source of his voiced that 2021 second-rounder Elijah Moore would be the highest-graded wide receiver prospect in the 2022 class. Now, that’s obviously his source’s opinion, but it’s a scary one.
Let’s say Douglas and Saleh agree, why not trade down and get two firsts in a draft class filled with so many debatable talents?
Assuming edge rusher is the selection at No. 4, 22 and 28 could send the Jets a wide receiver and a defensive tackle, or a WR and a defensive back. You could even double down and draft two wideouts for Zach Wilson.
Oh, and by the way, Douglas would still have two premium second-round picks after that. It’s hard to say whether either franchise is considering a deal like the one Brooks suggested, but at the very least, it’s another intriguing proposal for fans to mull over as the final countdown to draft night begins.
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