Trade Down? Jets’ Joe Douglas Boosts Draft-Day Options

Initially, it seemed as if the Jets would need the No. 10 overall selection to secure a Week 1 offensive starter whether it’d be at tackle or WR2. After a slow start to the offseason, however, general manager Joe Douglas filled four starting spots through free agency and a trade. New York signed longtime Dallas Cowboys’ left tackle Tyron Smith after poaching former Baltimore Ravens’ left guard John Simpson off the free-agent market. Douglas picked up a third starting offensive lineman by trading for Ravens’ right tackle Morgan Moses. Next, the Jets beefed up the receiving corps by agreeing to terms with former Los Angeles Chargers’ first-round draft pick Mike Williams. The aforementioned moves removed a lot of pressure from the Jets’ upcoming decision at No. 10 in the Round 1 draft order. Instead of selecting based upon a particular need, Douglas can take a “best player available” approach or even trade out of the spot. With the draft being a way to build quality roster depth, New York could benefit by increasing its number of picks this spring. Related content As it stands, the Jets are without a Round 2 selection, which was sent to the Green Bay Packers as part of the compensation package for quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year. Trading down in Round 1 as a means of re-acquiring a second-rounder will give New York a chance to come away with two potential starting caliber prospects. In Round 2 last year, the Jets found their starting center when they tookWisconsin’s Joe Tippmann at No. 43 overall.

The Jets, who are also without a fifth-rounder, have seven total selections, two of which are compensatory seventh-round picks.