The New York Jets have struggled with two substantial areas of need all offseason. While a team that missed the playoffs for the 14th straight year, finished 5-12 and fired its general manager and coaching staff clearly has more than just two holes to fill, the Jets desperately need to improve the interior of their defensive line and add a legitimate WR2 to play opposite Garrett Wilson.
In a surprisingly encouraging proactive display, the team addressed one of those glaring issues this week. The Jets completed two unexpected preseason trades within hours of each other on Wednesday. New York added defensive tackle Jowon Briggs from the Browns in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2026. Then, the team doubled down on the position, landing Harrison Phillips and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Vikings for sixth-round selections in 2026 and 2027.
The Jets’ porous line was an obvious weak point as the team ranked 17th against the run last season. Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey didn’t solve the problem with the preseason trades but they did at least address it. And Phillips in particular is an intriguing addition. The 6’3”, 307-pound former third-round pick is a strong run defender who will likely start next to Quinnen Williams at left tackle.
The Jets need to add a receiver
The Jets’ new regime demonstrated a willingness to upgrade areas of need via trade. So what about New York’s other glaring weakness? The Jets’ wide receiver room inspires little confidence beyond Wilson. Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard are duking it out for WR2 duties when in reality both veteran wideouts are better suited to WR3/4 roles.
The rest of New York’s depth chart is even bleaker. Former third-round pick Malachi Corley is best known for a gaffe in his rookie season. Arian Smith was a fourth-round flier in 2025 with track-star speed and questionable hands. And Xavier Gipson is a return specialist.
New York needs to add a pass catcher. And two-time Pro Bowl wideout Terry McLaurin could be available for the right price.
McLaurin is entering the final year of the extension he signed with the Washington Commanders in 2022 and he wants a new contract. Despite having Super Bowl aspirations after reaching the NFC Championship game last season and a startling lack of depth at the position, the Commanders have yet to re-sign McLaurin.
The two sides don’t seem particularly close to striking a deal either. And the situation in Washington is turning acrimonious. McLaurin has complained about the contract dispute to the media. He’s holding out while awaiting a new extension and missed training camp as well as the preseason. Fed up with the lack of progress, McLaurin requested a trade.
Why the Jets should trade for Terry McLaurin
McLaurin is one of the most talented and consistent receivers in the NFL. He debuted with Washington in 2019 and caught 58 passes for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. That was the last season he failed to top 1,000 yards.
The seventh-year veteran has recorded five-straight 1,000-yard seasons. In 2024 he had 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro honors.
But that was with Jayden Daniels under center. Before the Offensive Rookie of the Year burst onto the scene in Washington, McLaurin’s streak of 1,000-yard campaigns had a high degree of difficulty. Much like Garrett Wilson, McLaurin kept his streak alive with some questionable quarterbacks.
After just missing the mark with Case Keenum in 2019, McLaurin topped 1,000 yards for the first time in his career with Alex Smith at quarterback. He teamed up with Taylor Heinicke in 2021 and 2022 and then just barely continued the streak with 1,002 receiving yards after Sam Howell took over the Commanders’ offense in 2023.
Clearly, McLaurin has demonstrated an ability to maintain his productivity in a less than ideal offensive environment. That alone has prepared him for a career with the Jets.
Garrett Wilson is the first player in franchise history to start his career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons. And he’s the only Jets wideout with a 1,000-yard campaign since Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker in 2015.
Pairing Wilson with a wideout of McLaurin’s caliber could lift the Jets’ offense to new heights. If opposing defenses shift coverage to one of the dynamic receivers, the other will make them pay. Wilson and McLaurin have the potential to become just the third set of wideouts in team history to record 1,000-yard campaigns in the same season. Before Marshall and Decker did it in 2015, Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet accomplished the feat in 1998.
Also, McLaurin could join the Ohio State alumni reunion the Jets are putting together with Wilson and Justin Fields. Although McLaurin had already left the school for the NFL when Wilson and Fields got there.
Why the Jets shouldn’t trade for Terry McLaurin
There’s no denying McLaurin’s talent. And he would unquestionably improve the Jets’ offense. However, he’s similar to Wilson in many ways. New York would be better off trading for a complimentary receiver like Romeo Doubs. A different skillset at the position would be beneficial while also allowing Wilson to reach his full potential as a WR1.
Additionally, the team that lands McLaurin in a trade is going to have to pay him. After all, the lack of a big-money extension is why he’s available in the first place.
McLaurin is reportedly seeking DK Metcalf money. And some insiders have said the Commanders’ wideout wants to surpass Metcalf’s contract. The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks and signed him to a four-year, $132 million extension.
Metcalf is currently the fourth-highest paid receiver in the NFL with a $33 million average annual salary, per Spotrac. The Jets just inked Wilson to a massive $130 million contract, making him the fifth-highest paid wideout in football at $32.5 million annually.
Should New York have two of the top-five highest-paid players at the same position? That seems like a luxury that a rebuilding franchise with plenty of holes to fill can’t afford.
And then, of course, there’s the age. McLaurin will be 30 years old this season. If he gets the contract he wants, he would be the only 30-year-old in the top 12 highest-paid receivers. Tyreek Hill is the only other 30-year-old wideout in the top 19.
Beyond the money, McLaurin’s age doesn’t really fit into the Jets’ timeline. Glenn is leading a youth movement in New York. The team shed a number of veteran players this offseason, transforming from one of the oldest rosters in football last year to one of the youngest in 2025.
If the Jets are lucky enough to rebuild successfully under Glenn the team will just be ready to compete at the end of McLaurin’s new contract, in his age-33 or 34 season.
McLaurin would likely be a better fit on a team that’s ready to contend in 2025. You know, like the Commanders.
The perfect Jets trade for Terry McLaurin – and why
This comes with several caveats. First, Glenn and Mougey must believe the pros of adding McLaurin outweigh the cons. Second, Glenn must truly be enamored with Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. And finally, the Jets must really have no intention of signing Breece Hall to an extension after the 2025 season.
Assuming those three things are true, the Jets' perfect trade would be a straight swap of McLaurin for Hall.
Both players are in the final year of their contracts but Hall hasn’t been lobbying for a big-money deal, so Washington would avoid that headache.
But more importantly, after the Commanders surprisingly traded Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers, the team is suddenly in need of a running back. Robinson accounted for nearly 1,000 total yards and eight touchdowns for Washington last season.
While the Commanders still have Austin Ekeler, the veteran RB is in his age-30 season. Even in his prime he wasn’t a workhorse back. Hall would fill an important role for Washington as the team attempts to build on the momentum it created in 2024 and make another deep playoff run.
The Jets would be able to operate a true running back by committee, which is Glenn’s preference, with plenty of Fields’ rushes mixed in. And New York could see what it has in exciting undrafted free agent Donovan Edwards, who would otherwise be exiled to the practice squad or stolen by another team.
More importantly, the Jets wouldn’t have to part with any draft capital in this deal. They’d be taking on a lot of salary but the team would keep its early-round picks, which are essential for a rebuild.
