The New York Jets are an ideal trade-back candidate in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic predicted that Gang Green would do exactly that in a new mock draft, he posted on Monday, April 8.
New York Jets receive: a 2024 first-rounder (No. 20 overall), a 2024 second-round draft choice (No. 51 overall), a 2024 sixth-rounder (No. 195), and a 2025 fourth-round draft choice.
Pittsburgh Steelers receive: a 2024 first-rounder (No. 10 overall) and a 2024 sixth-rounder (No. 185).
“My instinct was to give the Jets an offensive lineman — especially after adding a second-round pick — but none of the ones available in this simulation at No. 20 was as appealing as adding a weapon like [Brian] Thomas [Jr],” Rosenblatt explained. “The LSU star might go much higher than this, too — and might even be defensible at No. 10. Thomas is an elite athlete (4.33 40-yard dash, 38.5-inch vertical) with good size (6-3, 209) and big-play ability. He scored 17 touchdowns in 2023 and would serve both as top-notch insurance for Mike Williams and a high-end third wide receiver if everyone is healthy.”
Steelers-Jets Trade in 2024 Would Be Irony at Its Finest
In this proposed scenario, Rosenblatt explained that a team “desperate” for help on the offensive line might be motivated to trade up with the Jets to secure their guy in the first round.
Last year the green and white got screwed by the Steelers who traded up with the New England Patriots to snipe, in theory, the offensive lineman they wanted (Georgia’s Broderick Jones). Then Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was accused of taking less to trade down with Pittsburgh in the first round.
“They should have had to give up a [third-round pick] and not a four to move up there,” one NFL anonymous general manager told the Washington Post via Sports Illustrated. “Belichick did it just to f–k the Jets. He sold low because he knew the Steelers were going to take the kid the Jets wanted to take.”
Fast forward a year later and the Jets are predicted to help the Steelers get another offensive tackle. The NFL is a funny place.
The Rest of the Results in the Jets 7-Round Mock Draft
Due to the first-round trade back, the Jets were able to recoup a second-round pick in Rosenblatt’s projected scenario.
“If the Jets stay at No. 10 — and none of the top three wide receivers is available — offensive tackle feels increasingly likely at that spot since this is a deep wide receiver class,” Rosenblatt explained.
However, the Jets were able to secure a talented wideout and attacked the offensive line in the second round. Rosenblatt projected BYU hog molly Kingsley Suamataia to be selected by Gang Green.
The big man checked in at the NFL combine at 6-foot-5 and tipped the scales at 326 pounds. He can play both offensive tackle spots and Lance Zierlein projects that he can be an “average starting tackle” in the league.
In the third round of this mock, the Jets selected Jaden Hicks the safety out of Washington State. With a pair of fourth-rounders, Gang Green secured quarterback Jordan Travis out of Florida State and Notre Dame running back Audric Estime.
In the sixth round, they landed Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy. Finally in the seventh round, the green and white added Matt Lee the center out of Miami, and Nathaniel Watson the linebacker out of Mississippi State.
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