With free agency and the NFL draft approaching, there are a pair of moves, one via each avenue, that the Jets could find themselves having one of the best (if not the best), young offensive lines in the NFL.
Already sitting pretty at tackle where they have Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou on the left and right respectively, the Jets need a pair of starters at left guard and possibly center with Joe Tippmann presumptively staying at right guard. Yes, Gang Green did extend Josh Myers to man the pivot again this year, but that doesn’t mean an upgrade should be ruled out.
In somewhat of a surprise development, it looks increasingly likely that Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum will get to test the market. If no extension is reached in the coming days, this is an area where the GM Darren Mougey should make a very strong push. Linderbaum would give Gang Green their first upper-tier center since the late Nick Mangold.
Come draft time, there’s a decent chance that Penn Stat left guard Vega Ioane will be on the board with the sixteenth pick. Arguably the best offensive lineman in this class, should the Jets pull the trigger on Ioane and add Tippmann, they would suddenly be one of the best possible landing spots for a rookie (or veteran) QB in the coming years.
There’s still plenty of time between now and the draft. Even if the Jets don’t land a player of Linderbaum’s stature, this is also a deep class at center where the Jets should, at the very least, be looking for somebody to compete with Myers and potentially wrestle away the starting job.
