What are Jets' NFL Draft plans? Five hints from GM Joe Douglas' news conference (2024)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — General manager Joe Douglas met with the media on Friday and revealed all of the New York Jets’ draft plans.

Not really. This is the season of smokescreens. Some call it the lying season. Really, it’s just NFL Draft season.

Fans have speculated for weeks what the Jets might do at No. 10, but it’s challenging to truly predict what might transpire without knowing who will be picked before they are on the clock.

Here are five things I think I learned about the Jets’ draft plans from Douglas’ 15-minute news conference.

1. There is legitimate interest in Brock Bowers

In recent days, there has been much debate about whether it makes sense for any team — Jets or otherwise — to draft a tight end in the top 10. The argument centers on value (Bowers would immediately be one of the highest-paid players at the position if the Jets picked him) and the recent history (or failure) of first-round tight ends living up to that billing.

But as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has been preaching, there are exceptions to every rule, and many around the league believe Bowers might be the exception as a jack-of-all-trades weapon. Douglas alluded to Bowers on multiple occasions Friday without ever actually being directly asked about the Georgia tight end.

In response to a question about whether the Jets need to prioritize a player who can play right now since their quarterback is the 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers, Douglas said: “It’s a positive thing if you have enough depth on your team so a draft pick doesn’t have to come in and play right away” and that “it’s going to be a dogfight to break into the starting lineup” for any prospect.

Then, unprompted, he added a note about Jets tight ends Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert: “Warriors like Conk and Ruck, they’re not going to go quietly into the night if we took a tight end.”

Joe Douglas is here. pic.twitter.com/fDNFBIrALD

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— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) April 19, 2024

Later, Douglas was asked about the quality of offensive weapons available at the top of this draft especially at wide receiver. After alluding to the skills of the top three wideout prospects in Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze — though he didn’t directly name them — he said this: “There’s different flavors … (including) a tight end that’s a Swiss Army knife that you can move all around the formation and can really stress the defense.”

Finally, to cap the presser, Douglas was asked about the value questions that come with drafting a tight end so early.

“Look, if that tight end can become someone that has turned into what Kansas City, San Francisco (has), what (Sam) LaPorta did last year in Detroit, those are dynamic weapons for your offense and guys that put a lot of stress on your defense because they create mismatches,” Douglas said. “It’s hard to put a linebacker on one of those guys. You put a DB on one of those guys and it creates a size mismatch. Put a safety on those guys, they better be able to run and play man coverage. The right type of tight end can be a real weapon.”

2. The Jets are open to a trade-up, but probably not more than a couple of spots

Much of the Jets’ decision-making next week will center on what happens in front of them. If four quarterbacks are drafted before No. 10, that would push other top prospects down in the order, thus making it a greater possibility that Douglas would be willing to go up and get someone.

The most obvious targets in that scenario would be Harrison, Nabers, Odunze or even Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt, since offensive tackle and wide receiver remain the Jets’ two biggest needs.

But keep in mind: The Jets don’t own a second-round pick as a result of last year’s Rodgers trade.

“Those are all the discussions we’re having right now,” Douglas said. “We’re going to have more discussions next week on: Who are those players we would consider coming up from 10 to go get? How many of them are there? How far are you willing to go? Obviously we don’t have our second-round pick this year, so that limits how far you can go up, but those are the conversations we’ll have.”

The Jets do have a third-round pick, two fourth-round picks and picks in the first five rounds in 2025, so there is ammo to move up slightly if Douglas desires that. He moved up in the first round in 2021 to get Alijah Vera-Tucker and traded back into the first round in 2022 to draft defensive end Jermaine Johnson.

The Chargers (at No. 5) and Giants (at No. 6) are prime candidates to draft a wide receiver. The Titans at No. 7 don’t need one, but the Falcons (No. 8) or Bears (No. 9) might be looking at the Harrison-Nabers-Odunze trio.

As for the prospect of trading back and picking up a second-rounder and/or other picks, that mostly depends on how the board plays out, too. It would be much easier to trade back if one of the top quarterback prospects falls to No. 10.

“If we get to 10 and we have a strong group of players we love, how willing are you to move back? How far do you feel comfortable moving back?” Douglas said.

3. The Jets will draft a quarterback

No, not in the first round. But expect the Jets to look at picking a quarterback on Day 2 or Day 3 to develop behind Rodgers and the 34-year-old Tyrod Taylor, who together form the oldest quarterback room in the NFL.

Douglas said Friday that he recently went back and looked at how the Packers used to operate when Brett Favre was at quarterback. In that era, they drafted and developed multiple quarterbacks after the first round who went on to become starters elsewhere. That included Mark Brunell in the fifth round, Matt Hasselbeck in the sixth round and Aaron Brooks in the fourth round — and, later, Rodgers in the first round.

“I would love to be a quarterback factory like that,” Douglas said. “I would love to have quarterbacks that we take every year in the draft and even if you hit on two or three like the Packers did, you can really turn those into future picks or they develop into starters elsewhere like Brunell and Brooks and Hasselbeck all did.”

The Jets hosted a few quarterbacks projected to go after the first round for top-30 visits, including Florida State’s Jordan Travis, Samford’s Michael Hiers and Tulane’s Michael Pratt.

4. Zach Wilson will not be sticking around

Douglas shared a sentiment about Wilson on Friday that was similar to something he said last month at the owners’ meetings.

“Zach is an asset,” Douglas said. “At the same time, we’re obviously open to trading Zach. There have been discussions, nothing has really changed since (the owners’ meetings). We’re open to trading him, there’s just no news to report on that.”

Later, Douglas was asked if the Jets would be open to keeping Wilson.

“Look, we’re still in April. Training camp is months away,” he said.

Most teams have already filled out their quarterback room, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson were traded at some point before the end of the draft. The Broncos remain the likeliest destination.

5. The Jets will draft an offensive player in the first round

That might seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning, especially since Douglas might draft a defensive lineman every year if he could. Douglas threw the fan base for a loop by drafting a defensive end (Will McDonald) in the first round last year, but I wouldn’t expect that to happen next week.

Douglas barely spoke about defense on Friday and as owner Woody Johnson said recently: “Offense, offense, offense. Fully focused on it.”

The Jets had one of the NFL’s worst offenses in each of the last two years (and longer than that, really). The defense returns almost everyone important, added defensive end Haason Reddick this offseason and has no glaring holes.

Offense, offense, offense.

(Photo of Brock Bowers: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)