For fans of the New York Jets, the month of December has meant one thing in recent seasons. It's time to read up on the upcoming draft's best prospects, to dream about which one might be wearing green by the time next season rolls around.
The Jets have not made the playoffs for 13 straight seasons. Since then, starting with the 2012 draft, the team has selected in the top-10 seven times. Their lowest pick hasn't been in the 20s since 2016. Don't ask what has happened to such premium draft capital, but the Jets are always at least in position to add upper echelon talent.
The 2024 draft is shaping up to deliver yet again for the Jets. At 5-9, Gang Green has already been officially eliminated from playoff contention, and just four teams in the NFL have a worse record.
The Jets have a better than 70 percent chance at a top-10 pick, and better than a one-in-10 chance at a top-five selection, per ESPN's FPI. Their most likely draft position is the ninth choice, so we'll roll with that for now.
So, who should Aaron Rodgers…uh, sorry, Joe Douglas, be eying as a potential selection in the 2024 draft? Let's take a look at some way too early targets.
Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
It would be too strong to say that Fashanu to the Jets is a pipedream, but several things would have to fall in New York's favor for this one to happen. Namely, New York could start by losing out and climbing up the draft order. It would also help to have a few QB needy teams selecting ahead of it.
Fashanu is seen as this draft's top talent at offensive tackle. He's the draft's fourth-best prospect regardless of position, according to Pro Football Focus, while ESPN's Matt Miller ranks him third.
The story didn't get much publicity, but the Jets actually started the season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. What happened, you ask? Well, he got hit on his first two dropbacks (one negated by penalty) and sacked on the fourth and final play of his 2023 season, rupturing his Achilles.
With Rodgers' return to the Jets all but confirmed for 2024, the team needs to bulk up its pass protection. Evaluators regard pass blocking as Fashanu's strength, with ESPN's Jordan Reid stating his “balance, strength and recovery ability in pass protection are NFL-ready.”
Zach Wilson, a much younger and more spry quarterback than Rodgers, spent much of 2023 running for his life behind a new offensive line combination each week. The ideal scenario for the Jets is similar to what played out when the team selected tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson in the 2006 draft — stick him at left tackle on day one, and forget about the position for the next decade.
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Never put it past the Jets to sink to a new low, but it's still a long-shot that they end up in position to draft WR Marvin Harrison Jr., considering he doesn't make it past the number-two ranking on most evaluator's big boards.
But Nabers is a receiver who might be available to New York when Roger Goodell puts them on the clock. A run on quarterbacks would come in handy here (a team trading up for the draft's third or even fourth passer couldn't hurt), and teams looking for help on defense might have their eyes on UCLA's Laiatu Latu or Alabama's Dallas Turner.
If Nabers is there when the Jets pick, they should run their card up to the podium. They probably can't do it as fast as Nabers can, but that's why he's worth such a high pick — his speed and explosiveness.
LSU manufactures ways to get the ball in Nabers' hands anyway they can, including jet sweeps and reverses. (Scheming open your best players, imagine that.) That's the type of playmaker Aaron Rodgers', sorry, Nathaniel Hackett's offense is sorely missing.
Garrett Wilson has already proven himself to be a bonafide number one receiver in the NFL, and a wideout that can win on the outside. Pair him with a guy such as Nabers, who can move around the formation, and the Jets might start scaring people other than their fans when they have the football.
Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
Here is New York's Plan B if Fashanu is off the board, as most draft gurus prefer him to Alt. Not that Alt wouldn't be a solid consolation prize. Alt is PFF's seventh-ranked prospect, while ESPN's Reid said there “isn't another prospect I was more impressed with” than Alt, his vote for “the most versatile blocker in this loaded OT class.”
New York declined the fifth-year option on Mekhi Becton's contract already, and he's looking less and less likely to return with each passing week. The team's offensive tackle of the future, and the guy who will be under intense scrutiny to make sure Year 2 of the Aaron Rodgers Experiment doesn't implode before take off, isn't on the roster currently. Alt could fill that gap.
Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Sensing a pattern here?
For all the conjecture that a 17-game season from Rodgers would've ensured a trip to the playoff, the fact remains that this team doesn't have enough NFL talent in its receiver room. “Friends of Rodgers” (awful band name) Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb have both bombed in their first season with the team, and shouldn't be counted on for much in 2024.
Odunze is an intriguing talent. Pegged by most evaluators as a top-10 talent, ESPN's Mel Kiper is even higher on him, listing Odunze as sixth overall on his big board. Kiper expects Odunze to test well at the Underwear Olympics and loves his combination of size and speed, as well as his ability to use said size to box out defenders.
So there you have it. Four players the Jets should be targeting in the 2024 NFL draft. If there's a theme, it would be: go get players that can help you score some points next season.
Or just go and draft another defensive lineman.
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