Did Joe Douglas Divulge New York Jets' Round 1 Draft Plan?

New York Jets' general manager Joe Douglas hosted a pre-draft press conference in Florham Park and sounded open to using the No. 10 selection on a Georgia tight end.

Feb 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (TE04) talks to the media during / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets' general manager Joe Douglas likely struck a chord with the Brock Bowers backers.

Addressing reporters during a pre-draft press conference, Douglas mentioned the Georgia tight end without saying the prospect's name.

Running through highlights of the 2024 draft class, Douglas noted the presence of "a tight end that is a Swiss army knife that can move the ball around the formation and can really stress the defense."

Bowers, a two-time Mackey Award winner, is the consensus No. 1 tight end available and has Top 10 overall potential. In 2023, he led Georgia in receptions (56), receiving yards (714) and touchdown catches (6), despite being limited to 10 games due to an ankle injury.

"The right type of tight end can be a real weapon," said Douglas.

The general manager's comments suggest an elite tight end can be as valuable as a top-flight wide receiver.

"If that tight end can become someone that has turned into what Kansas City, San Francisco, what [Sam] LaPorta did last year in Detroit. Those are dynamic weapons for your offense and guys that put a lot of stress on your defense because they create mismatches," said Douglas.

The Jets currently have four tight ends under contract, a group led by Tyler Conklin, who finished second to Garrett Wilson in receiving yards two years in a row.

"I love our tight end room, actually," said Douglas in media scrum at the league meetings last month. "But, again, like that question about wide receiver, if there's a chance to add even more dynamic players we're gonna look at it."