How New York Jets’ AFC Rivals Did In NFL Draft First Round

While the New York Jets selected at No. 10 overall, their AFC East rivals were also working to get better in the first round of the NFL draft.

Chop Robinson, DE, Penn State / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

The New York Jets had one pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft and they used that to get better on offense with offensive tackle Olu Fashanu out of Penn State.

But each of their three AFC East rivals — the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots — were doing the same work on Thursday night.

How did each of them do in the first round?  

Buffalo Bills

No First Round Pick

The Bills traded out of the first round on Thursday.

First, they traded their No. 28 overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Chiefs selected Texas Longhorns wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

That deal dropped the Bills down to No. 32 overall. The Bills then flipped that pick to the Carolina Panthers and slid out of the first round and will have the first pick in the second round.

According to the Bills, they traded Kansas City No. 28, No. 133 (fourth round) and No. 248 (seventh round) for No. 32, No. 95 (third round) and No. 221 (seventh round).

The Bills traded No. 32 and No. 200 (sixth round) to Carolina for No. 33 (second round) and No. 141 (fifth round).

Miami Dolphins

No. 21 Overall: DE Chop Robinson, Penn State

The Dolphins wanted to get better on the pass rush and they believe they did so by drafting the 6-foot-3, 254-pound junior. He played with the Jets’ first-round pick and the pair were named the team’s MVP.

Last season he was named first team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media and named a second-team All-American by Pro Football Focus and USA Today.

Robinson only had six career sacks but he played outside linebacker in his college career. The question will be where he fits into the scheme run by defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Robinson projects as an edge in his system.

In fact, minutes after the Dolphins picked Robinson the team added him to their online roster. The position? Edge.

New England Patriots

No. 3 Overall: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

The Patriots didn’t mess around and made the former Tar Heels quarterback their first draft pick of the post-Bill Belichick era.

Maye was a two-year starter for the Tar Heels after he redshirted his freshman season in 2021. In 2022 he was picked the ACC Player of the Year, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, the ACC Rookie of the Year and the ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year. He joined Jameis Winston (2013) as the only other ACC player to do that.

He threw for more than 8,000 yards, along with 63 touchdowns and just 16 interceptions in his career.

The Patriots have three quarterbacks on their roster — Jacoby Brissett, Nathan Rourke and Bailey Zappe, the last of which was a part-time starter last season. The expectation is that Maye will start at some point in 2024, if not right away.