The New York Jets' resources were a bit limited during the 2024 NFL Draft. This was the second consecutive year they were down a second-round pick thanks to the trade they made to acquire Aaron Rodgers in 2023.
However, the Jets were able to come out of this draft with plenty of help for their franchise quarterback. The best moves the New York made included a couple of trades and using their first-round pick on Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu.
Trading back with the Minnesota Vikings
There was no team more desperate to select a quarterback in this year's draft than the Minnesota Vikings. Speculation ran rampant that Minnesota would have to move up into the top five to draft their new franchise quarterback. JJ McCarthy was the player the Vikings were reportedly enamored with.
Minnesota did finally trade up to draft their guy, but they didn't have to move as high as people thought. And the Jets were the ones who benefitted from that.
With their quarterback already on the roster in Rodgers, the Jets didn't need to take McCarthy when he slid to the tenth pick. The Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders picked behind them and all of them wanted or needed a quarterback.
New York took advantage and worked out a deal with Minnesota. They moved down one spot from ten to 11 and sent out a sixth-rounder (203) to pick up an additional fourth (129) and a fifth-round pick (157). The Jets extracted good value from that deal.
It wasn't much, but it was good business by general manager Joe Douglas and crew. That work came back into play later on in the draft.
Jets land Olu Fashanu in first round
Much was made of the Vikings getting their guy at tenth overall, but the Jets did the same at 11. Not only did they land their target in Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu, but they also addressed a major need in the process. The Jets' offensive line was a total mess last season. New York ranked 30th in the NFL in pass block win rate and 29th in run block win rate according to ESPN.com.
Aaron Rodgers' torn Achilles injury was terrible and unfortunate luck. However, he injured it on a play where his left tackle got beat like a drum.
That won't happen with Fashanu now in tow. He was as good as any offensive lineman in this year's draft and didn't give up a single sack during his time at Happy Valley.
The Jets signed Tyron Smith in the offseason without knowing who they'd be able to get in the draft. They also traded for Morgan Moses. Those two veterans could potentially start at tackle and Fashanu may slide to guard as a rookie.
Who plays where will be an intriguing camp battle. But the Jets absolutely had to improve their offensive line this offseason and did so drafting Fashanu.
New York acquires a 2025 third-round pick
The Jets' draft picks after their Fashanu selection were a bit underwhelming. Malachi Corley is a fun wide receiver with Deebo Samuel comparisons, but he may be closer to Amari Rodgers than Samuel.
They drafted two running backs on Day 3 after selecting one (Israel Abanikanda) last year. Throwing this much draft equity to find a backup to Breece Hall doesn't seem very necessary. Qwan'tez Stiggers wound up in New York in what may be the best story to come out of this year's draft.
But the best move the Jets made after their Fashanu selection wasn't even a draft pick they made. It was a trade. Remember that extra fourth the Jets got from the Vikings? That was the 129th overall pick. They still had the 126th overall pick and sent that to the Detroit Lions for a 2025 third-round pick.
It's always good to get ahead of things and rack up value for next year's draft. The Jets bought themselves a free fourth-round pick for moving down one spot in the first round and then flipped a slightly better fourth for a third next year. Despite that trade, New York still made five selections on Day 3 of the draft to bolster their depth.
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