Gang Green Earns Top-10 Status in NFL.com Post-Draft Power Rankings

Jets remain high on list after Rodgers' trade becomes official in final week of April

Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are a top-10 team in the National Football League according to power rankings specialist Dan Hanzus.

Gang Green earned the No. 9 ranking (out of 32 teams) in the first update to Hanzus' NFL Power Rankings following the 2023 Draft. 

The Jets' top-10 position did not change from the March 21 installment, when Hanzus, who co-hosts the "Around The NFL" Podcast, was working under the assumption that Aaron Rodgers would be the team's starting quarterback even though the trade with Green Bay was not yet completed. 

Three of the four AFC East division members occupy top-10 spots in the Power Rankings published on NFL.com. Buffalo sits in the No. 4 spot with the Jets ninth and the Miami Dolphins sliding in at No. 10 overall. The New England Patriots are the top-ranked team on the bottom half of the list (No. 17).

From NFL.com Power Rankings:

9 New York Jets

Previous rank: No. 9 

Moving back two spots in the first round as the "sweetener" in the Aaron Rodgers trade proved potentially costly, as New York watched the last of the four top offensive linemen in the first round come off the board a pick before the Jets went on the clock at No. 15 overall. The ensuing selection of Iowa State defensive end Will McDonald IV felt like a pivot, but no one in Florham Park will complain if McDonald finally gives the team a consistent threat on the edge. When one of the most important weeks in franchise history wrapped, you could see the sense of accomplishment on the faces of GM Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh. "It's been a fun week, a fun week," Saleh said with a smile. "To get Aaron here, it's a blessing. ... We got better this week -- a lot better this week." 

- Dan Hanzus

Who's up and who's down in the wake of the 2023 NFL Draft? After the wild weekend in Kansas City, resident Power Ranker @DanHanzus reassesses the league hierarchy, 1-32https://t.co/vsW35TIjeW pic.twitter.com/DGYzH5C9wn

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) May 1, 2023

Even at 39 years old, Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, instantly upgrades the Jets' offense. During a "down" year statistically, his numbers were still significantly better than the production the Jets received from their revolving door of quarterbacks.

In his final season with the Packers, Rodgers accounted for a 64.6 completion percentage while throwing for 26 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Over that same time span, four Jets’ quarterbacks combined for a 56.98 completion percentage, 14 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.

In his analysis, Hanzus recognized the Jets' choice to spend a first-round pick on an edge rusher. There's certainly a need to put heat on opposing quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa, who Gang Green will see twice per season as long as they remain in the AFC East.

READ MORE:

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Sports Illustrated Grades Jets' 2023 Draft Below Median

Jets Land in Bottom Half on NFL.com Draft Grades List

New York Jets’ Super Bowl Odds Rise on Rodgers’ Effect