By Anthony Cardone
On Saturday, the Jets made a surprising move by trading with the Colts to move up to the number three overall draft pick. The Jets traded their sixth overall pick, two second round picks (pick 37 and 49) and a 2019 second round pick. But we’re all wondering what the Jets have cooking up their sleeves.
The Jets recently signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown and former Vikings star Teddy Bridgewater to one year contracts for the 2018 season, but they could have their eye on another quarterback after this trade. They do still have Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, two former quarterback draft picks that didn’t work out so well, so they are probably looking to not make that mistake again and watch another QB ride the bench. Before the trade, the Browns, Giants and Broncos were all looking for quarterbacks, so the Jets possibly have their eye on one of those top quarterbacks. To recap, the quarterbacks they could take are Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Mason Rudolph.
But what if they don’t take a quarterback? What if they have another plan? The Jets have taken a defensive player in the first round, including two in 2013, nine out of the last ten seasons. Quarterback Mark Sanchez was picked fifth overall in 2009, their only offensive pick in the last ten seasons. The Jets have always been a defense-first team, especially with Todd Bowles as their head coach, so they could possibly make it another season picking a defensive player.
The Jets could go one more year with Josh McCown and also have him mentor Teddy Bridgewater as the latter tries to make his comeback after his gruesome injury two years ago. Bridgewaters is trying to prove that he still has it and possibly get that big contract he was aiming to get before the injury, whether from the Jets or another team at the end of the year. If they do take a quarterback, McCown could also mentor the rookie. If they don’t, the Jets could take a guy like defensive end Bradley Chubb, or defensive back Denzel Ward, to have that defensive player and still have a quarterback who already knows the offense. Remember, McCown played better then we all expected in 2017, with 18 touchdowns and just under 3,000 passing yards before breaking his hand.
The Jets have also been very active this offseason on the free agent market. It’s no surprise, because the Jets having one of the biggest cap spaces in the league. I’ve mentioned the two quarterbacks in McCown and Bridgewater, but the Jets have also signed running back Isaiah Crowell, defensive back Trumaine Johnson, center Spencer Long and even a kicker in Cairo Santos. The Jets are addressing both sides of the ball, so with this pick they could go either way. Don’t be surprised if the Jets shock the world on draft day to start this building process and point it in the right direction.
