Jets Predicted To Draft 4,134-Yard Passer To 'Battle' With Justin Fields

Could either top QB fall to the Jets at pick seven?

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets helmets during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Is Justin Fields the solution for the New York Jets at quarterback, or merely a stopgap?

By signing Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal earlier this month, the Jets took a calculated risk that a former first-round pick, who has shown flashes of dynamic playmaking ability, could put it all together and become a quality NFL starter in his fifth year in the league.

However, Fields' contract is not such a bear that the Jets couldn't also draft and develop a rookie quarterback. The question, in that case, is whether or not they'll get the chance to select one they feel confident about with one of their early selections.

There are only two quarterbacks that the collective talent evaluation world has felt were first-round talents since the start of the draft cycle: Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. Will either fall to the Jets with the seventh overall pick in April?

On Wednesday, CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso predicted that would happen, mock drafting Sanders to the Jets to compete with Fields for the starting gig.

"The Jets plan for the future at the quarterback spot and prepare for a Sanders/Justin Fields quarterback battle that'll surely grab headlines in August," Trapasso wrote.

Sanders, 23, passed for 4,134 yards in 2024, racking up 37 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. He is, of course, the son of NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who has been the head coach at Colorado for the past two seasons.

In what is considered a relatively weak quarterback class, it would be somewhat surprising to see Sanders fall to the Jets at seven, especially with the possibility of other quarterback-needy teams trading up to pick in front of New York.

But if Sanders is there, should the Jets grab him? Or should they bank on their QB messiah waiting for them in a future draft, with Fields as a short-term lottery ticket?

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