The New York Jets could be left without a dance partner at the tight end position.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on Tuesday, March 11 that it “doesn’t sound like TE Tyler Conklin is coming back” to the Jets in free agency.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said Conklin has a strong market. NFL analyst Will Parkinson confirmed that multiple teams are interested in his services on the open market.
Jets Are Between a Rock and a Hard Place
If Conklin is out of the picture, that doesn’t leave many options left in free agency for the Jets at tight end.
Pro Football Focus posted a list of the top-200 free agents that are available. The only tight end that is left on that list is Evan Engram who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero shared on social media that Engram has already had visits with the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers respectively. It doesn’t sound like he will be on the market much longer.
The only tight end the Jets currently have under contract is Jeremy Ruckert.
Ruckert, 24, entered the league as the No. 101 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. During his three seasons in the pros, Ruckert has caught 35 receptions for 264 receiving yards. Ruckert has appeared in 41 games and has made 15 starts, but hasn’t scored a touchdown during his NFL career.
The former Ohio State product did spend two years in college with new Jets quarterback Justin Fields. Perhaps there is hope that the two can rekindle an old flame in 2025, but expectations aren’t very high for Ruckert based on what he has shown so far.
Jets Could Be Forced to Fill Massive Void in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Jets are headed down a dark road. Free agent options are dwindling at the tight end position. If they are unable to fill that void they will have a gaping hole at TE heading into April’s draft.
The good news is there is a stellar option at tight end in the first round with Penn State product Tyler Warren. The bad news is if everyone knows that the Jets have a massive need for a tight end they could be leapfrogged by another team who also wants Warren.
Longtime former scout and current television draft analyst, Daniel Jeremiah, has Warren ranked as the No. 5 overall best player in this draft class on his big board.
“Warren is a massive tight end who carried the Penn State offense this past season. He lined up in-line, in the slot and as a Wildcat quarterback. His production is the result of his size, catch radius and tenacity. He doesn’t generate a lot of separation as a route runner, but he walls off defenders when on the move. Defenders simply can’t get through his body to make plays on the ball. He can track the ball over his shoulder and he can high-point the ball when needed. He isn’t a nifty option-route type of player. After the catch, defenders bounce off him or go along for a ride as he drags them for extra yardage. He’s effective in the run game and looks to finish when possible. Overall, he isn’t as dynamic as Rob Gronkowski was during his career, but Warren is a similar player in a lot of ways,” Jeremiah said.
Warren measured in at the NFL combine at 6-foot-5 and tipped the scales at 256 pounds.
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