Jets' Draft Dreams Still Alive Entering Week 17

Many people think that the New York Jets lost out on some of the best tackle prospects in the NFL Draft with their latest win against the Washington Commanders. That might not be the case just yet.

There are two games left for the New York Jets in the 2023-24 season. At 6-9, the team won't be good enough to end their 13-year playoff drought. 

They also won't be bad enough to secure a top overall pick that could lead them to some of the blue-chip talent in a deep 2024 NFL Draft in April. This level of purgatory is something fans of Gang Green have come to frustratingly accept as they search for answers to end their doom. 

After the team defeated the Washington Commanders 30-28 last week at MetLife Stadium, New York dropped from the fifth overall pick to the ninth - seemingly putting them out of the top tackles in the Draft like Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu. 

That might not be the case though. 

With quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye expected to be the top picks in April, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as the top non-QB expected to be selected, there are plenty of other players who could push down a loaded tackle class. 

Prospects like Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, and wide receivers such as Keon Coleman, Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze are all candidates to be taken within the top 10 picks in April. 

Here's a list of how the top 10 selections look heading into Week 17 per Tankathon:

1. CHI (Via CAR) (6-9)

2. ARI (3-12)

3. WAS (4-11)

4. NE (4-11)

5. NYG (5-10)

6. LAC (5-10)

7. TEN (5-10)

8. CHI (6-9)

9.  NYJ (6-9)

10. ATL (7-8)

Should the draft order stay the same going through the final two weeks, there's a path where both Alt and Fashanu would make it past the fifth overall selection. With the Giants already defending the idea of building around quarterback Daniel Jones, that notion is all but confirmed at this point. 

That leaves four picks and four players at the top of the draft order before the Jets make their selection. With a deep receiving, quarterback, and offensive line class, the Chargers, Titans, and Bears could all pass on upcoming tackles. 

In the worst case, there is a possibility that one of Alt or Fashanu falls to where New York currently is. 

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We're still a few months away from the 2024 NFL Draft kicking off though in Detroit. The Jets could improve their draft selection with a loss in the final two games of the season against the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. 

A loss on Thursday night against the Browns would move the Jets into the eighth overall pick, with a chance to get as high as fifth at the end of Week 17. 

Just because it doesn't look too good for New York to get the best tackle prospect, doesn't mean those dreams are dead just yet. 

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