After an abysmal two-win and 14-loss season, the New York Jets have been busy this offseason and made improvements all around the roster.
Their biggest move so far was keeping safety Marcus Maye in the fold via franchise tag. Other significant moves include improving their defensive line by signing Carl Lawson and Sheldon Rankins and adding weapons in the passing game by acquiring wide receivers Corey Davis and Keelan Cole. Adam Gase was also replaced by Robert Saleh as head coach, which is an upgrade.
Now, the biggest need for the team is improved quarterback play. This does not necessarily mean the Jets need to trade Sam Darnold away even though he has not lived up to the expectations of being the 2018 third-overall pick. Besides, he has not played a 16-game season yet due to numerous injuries. When he does play, there is much to be desired as he frequently makes questionable throws.
To be fair to Darnold, he had to play under Gase last season, a campaign wherein he had more interceptions than touchdowns. Darnold played behind an offensive line that barely gave him time to make plays. The receiving corps was lackluster and there was no ground game to take pressure off of him. The defense did not do him any favors either.
Taking all these things into account, Darnold might do better next season if the front office's moves hopefully pan out. The coaching staff was purged and new offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur might be able to bring out the best in the young quarterback. Also, if Darnold is traded, the returns for him would probably be just an underwhelming second-round pick, so the team can just ride it out with him one more time.
New York has the second-overall pick in the draft, which gives them a lot of options. If this were the first-overall selection, then the Jets stay put and wait for Trevor Lawrence to bring them back to the postseason. As things stand now, there are plenty of quarterback-needy teams that could be willing to trade up for the pick and presumably use it on BYU's Zach Wilson.
Trading down gives New York extra draft capital to fill out the holes in the roster. Staying with the theme of improved quarterback play, the Jets can select offensive tackle Penei Sewell from Oregon. Sewell is the best offensive line prospect in this class and will be ready to start on day one.
He has a large frame and plays with a mean streak in the run game. In passing downs, he makes use of his length to keep pass rushers at bay. His technique could use some work though. With this selection, the 2022 New York quarterback will have bookend tackles in Sewell and man-mountain Mekhi Becton keeping his jersey clean.
Should Darnold disappoint despite the additions to the team, then the Jets can move on from him and use their first-round pick on the best quarterback available.
Acquiring Deshaun Watson is still in play, but with the assets a trade of that magnitude will require and the existing roster holes, the team may not be able to compete sustainably.
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