The dilemma is actual for the Jets as they embark on Thursday night time’s NFL draft first spherical.
The Jets should break from the age-old draft mantra cliché that claims to take “the most effective accessible athlete’’ when their No. 10 general decide arrives and as a substitute chase “the most effective accessible participant who will help them win now.’’
The Jets don’t have any selection however to get it proper this time within the draft, as a result of there shall be no subsequent yr for basic supervisor Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh in the event that they don’t win in 2024.
What does “win’’ imply?
It means, on the very least, a playoff berth.
We’re occurring 14 years because the final time the Jets have been within the postseason, and proprietor Woody Johnson is rising understandably impatient.
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Johnson, who’s 77, is quick approaching the stage of impatience his predecessor Leon Hess reached in 1995, when he famously declared: “I’m 80 years outdated and I need outcomes now’’ the day he fired Pete Carroll and employed Wealthy Kotite.
Everyone knows how that labored out. Hess by no means acquired the outcomes he sought.
Johnson hopes quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who’s presumably wholesome and recovered from his ruptured Achilles suffered within the season opener final yr, can ship these outcomes he so craves.
If the 40-year-old Rodgers goes to have the ability to do this, although, he’s going to want some extra assist round him on offense — and meaning extra skill-position expertise.
Which means drafting one of many prime receivers (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze) or the highest tight finish (Brock Bowers) within the first spherical.
Do the Jets need assistance on the offensive line?
Completely they do. Don’t they at all times?
However Douglas, who arrived right here in 2019 with a repute as an offensive line specialist, has failed spectacularly in his efforts to construct an incredible offensive line for the higher a part of the 5 years he’s held the publish.
The times of constructing the workforce for the longer term are performed for Douglas. The one manner he ought to take an offensive lineman within the first spherical is that if, for some motive, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt falls into his lap. Alt, by all accounts by draft consultants, is a plug-and-play prospect who would assist instantly.
In case you learn the tea leaves from Douglas’ pre-draft press availability final week, you bought the sensation he was greasing the skids to choose a skill-position participant.
His proprietor, in any case, was lately quoted as saying “offense, offense, offense’’ when requested what his workforce wants.
Johnson, to make sure, was not referring to extra offensive linemen who could or could not (Mekhi Becton) work out. He was referring to gamers who can get into the tip zone, which has been a less-traveled place for the Jets for a lot too lengthy.
Harrison caught 14 landing passes in every of the previous two years for Ohio State. Nabers caught 14 TD passes final season for LSU. Odunze caught 24 prior to now three seasons at Washington, together with 13 final season. Bowers had 26 receiving TDs and 5 dashing the previous three years for Georgia.
That’s a whole lot of firepower from these 4 gamers — manufacturing that may solely be enhanced by Rodgers, who has a present for making the gamers round him higher.
“Once you look again at another conditions the place a participant like Aaron has gone, there have been key playmakers round him,’’ Douglas mentioned. “We now have some dynamic gamers round him already with Garrett [Wilson], including [receiver] Mike Williams, [running back] Breece [Hall]. We love our tight finish room the place it’s at with Conk [Tyler Conklin] and Ruck [Jeremy Ruckert]. So, we really feel like we have now a whole lot of good gamers round [Rodgers].’’
They want extra.
“There are a whole lot of particular gamers on the offensive aspect of the ball,’’ Douglas mentioned of this draft. “Guys which can be prime degree playmakers, dynamic playmakers and they’re all a unique taste. Whether or not you need a precision route runner that’s tremendous productive otherwise you need an explosive freak, whether or not you need a high-level route runner who can go up and get the ball, but in addition run by folks.
“There are totally different flavors of blockers too and a good finish [Bowers] that may be a Swiss Military knife that may transfer the ball across the formation and may actually stress the protection. It’s a actually cool group.’’
Douglas has no selection however to go get certainly one of them with that tenth general decide Thursday night time.
