ESPN Suggests New York Jets Trade Up for Star Tackle, Receiver

The New York Jets have earned the right to be flexible in the NFL Draft. Could their newfound freedom result in a trade for an elite receiver or offensive tackle?

Nov 27, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Joe Alt (76) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets are one of the league’s clear winners of free agency, not only for the talent they acquired but for the flexibility it will grant them in the upcoming NFL Draft.

No longer will general manager Joe Douglas be beholden to the best offensive lineman available in his attempt to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Instead New York will have a wide array of options available to it, from lineman to receiver to tight end and a trade in either direction.

Most of the speculation about a draft-day trade has been about the Jets trading down, recouping draft capital and capitalizing on a strong class, without the pressing need that existed a month ago.

Nov 27, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Joe Alt (76) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

However, on Monday, ESPN recommended New York trades up. After all, they’ve pushed the chips this far into a win-now window. Shouldn’t their draft-day transactions follow suit?

“The Jets are all-in around 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who might retire as early as next offseason,” Bill Barnwell wrote. “They should want to add the best available player who can impact the 2024 team, and the players most likely to make that immediate impact are at the top of the class.”

The Jets may hope that one of the class’ blue-chip tackles or receivers falls to them at No. 10, but with so many offense-needy teams picking before them, there’s no guarantee their preferred prospect falls. By forcing the issue, and trading up just a few picks, New York would sacrifice some long-term standing – that Douglas may not see, anyway – for its pick of the litter.

“If the Jets traded up for Alt, for example, they could install him at right tackle and have Moses in the swing tackle role, where he would be valuable depth for a team that started 13 different offensive linemen a year ago,” Barnwell wrote. “A move for Nabers or Odunze would give Williams time to recover from his torn left ACL and build a dynamic one-two punch with Garrett Wilson, which would make life easier for the guy who ends up replacing Rodgers, too. 

“The fact the Jets kept their 2025 second-rounder and instead traded a 2026 pick to the Eagles for edge rusher Haason Reddick makes me think they're considering using that 2025 selection to help move up this year.”

While not particularly likely, a trade up should be viewed as a distinct possibility. The Jets haven’t been shy about moving around in the draft to grab players that rank highly on their board. 

Trading up for a non-quarterback, generally, isn’t a good-process decision. But given the window Rodgers presents, and just how all-in New York is for this season, Douglas may feel that one last blue-chip prospect could put his team over the top and into football immortality.