It’s not all about trading for Aaron Rodgers when it comes to the New York Jets. Though acquiring a quarterback is priority No. 1 this offseason, they still have other holes to fill on their roster. We’ll examine the best players the Jets must target in 2023 NFL free agency.

After quarterback, the biggest positions of need for the Jets are center, interior defensive line, linebacker, and wide receiver. They already acquired Chuck Clark in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to upgrade the safety position.

Some of these spots could be filled by re-signing their own free agents. That’s particularly true at defensive tackle, where bringing back Sheldon Rankins should be a priority.

There’s also a good chance that they will use their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to fortify the offensive tackle position, unless that pick is part of a deal to land Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers.

That said, let’s look at the best players the Jets must target in 2023 NFL free agency (listed alphabetically).

Tremaine Edmunds – LB

There’s a good chance Tremaine Edmunds will price himself out of the Jets league, especially if New York takes on Rodgers’ mammoth contract. But if you’re Joe Douglas and Co., you need to not only inquire about Edmunds, you need to aggressively pursue him.

Edmunds is the type of player who can be a core part of your defense, along with pillars Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, for years to come. The linebacker will only be 25 when next season begins and already has played five quality seasons in the NFL, highlighted by two Pro Bowl selections. He’s an absolute physical stud, a game-changer, and who’s never had fewer than 102 tackles in a season (2022, when he played 13 games).

Quincy Williams is a free agent and may not return. C.J. Mosley needs to have his contract restructured again or could be cut for salary cap reasons. Either or both opens the door for a run at Edmunds.

Go big or go home, Jets.

Jimmy Garoppolo – QB

Wait. What? Isn’t Aaron Rodgers going to be the next Jets quarterback?

Well, maybe he is. But, maybe he isn’t.

Though the Jets want Rodgers badly and the Packers want to begin the Jordan Love era, Rodgers hasn’t made up his mind yet. Will he retire? Does he want to stay in Green Bay? Does he want anything to do with the Jets after visiting with New York’s power brokers earlier this week?

So, if the Rodgers situation remains unresolved when NFL free agency begins next week, guess what? The Jets still need a quarterback to replace Zach Wilson. And they already missed out on Derek Carr, whom they had “fantastic” visits with before he signed with the New Orleans Saints.

The next best option is Garoppolo. And the Jets will need to be in on him if there’s no Rodgers resolution. They could do worse at the position. Jimmy G is an efficient quarterback, one well-versed in the West Coast offense, and has a Super Bowl appearance on his resume. He does get hurt, a lot, so he’s not the perfect choice. But he’s a big upgrade from Wilson.

Ben Jones – C

There are a couple big “ifs” here. If, the Jets do not re-sign Connor McGovern, then Jones is an option to replace him at center. And if Jones is healthy, then he appears to be a good fit with the Jets.

Starting with the latter question mark, Jones missed five games last season with a concussion. That’s worrisome. But Jones is as durable as they come. He missed only one game in the previous nine seasons with the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. And it should be noted, Jones still made the Pro Bowl last season.

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Jones will be 34 when next season begins and is an outstanding run blocker, grading 74.5 or better (twice at 79) the past four seasons by Pro Football Focus. He’s also allowed only two sacks the past two seasons when his offensive line coach was Keith Carter, who was hired in the same role by the Jets this offseason.

McGovern is younger (29) and respected in the Jets locker room after spending the past three seasons as their starting center, though he did allow 15 sacks in that time. He’ll likely command a longer and more expensive contract than Jones, who was released by the Titans this past week. Plus, Jones has graded better than McGovern in every category since the latter joined the NFL in 2017.

Allen Lazard – WR

If the Jets do trade for Rodgers, it’d be a no brainer to also try and sign Allen Lazard, a popular Rodgers target with the Packers. But even if the Jets don’t land the apple of their eye to play QB, they need to take a run at Lazard.

Braxton Berrios was cut by the Jets on Thursday and Corey Davis could be the next to go. So, there’d be an opening for Lazard to play alongside Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore.

The 27-year-old is coming off his best NFL season. He caught an NFL career-high 60 passes, 51 of which were either a first down or touchdown and averaged 13.1 yards per reception. He’s a big target (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) and an excellent run blocker, which would appeal to the Jets.

Lazard could be priced out of the Jets' comfort zone but perhaps they’d get creative for a receiver who appears to be a nice fit.