New York Jets General Manager Darren Mougey and Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn, shake hands as they pose for the press, at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Monday, January 27, 2025, in Florham Park. Mougey and Glenn were introduced to the press in their new positions for the first time.
Despite plenty of offseason wheeling and dealing from GM Darren Mougey, which included trades for Geno Smith and Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Jets still have a long way to go before fans have something meaningful to feel good about. Sure, new player acquisitions breed a degree of optimism for some, but what really matters is winning football games.
Nobody should be more aware of this right now than Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn as they pilot a team that currently holds the longest playoff drought in all major American sports. The Jets Nation will be hoping luck is on their side this season, like the same luck you feel when entering a social casino. The Gang Green will need to concentrate hard on each game when on the green turf at MetLife Stadium, just like players need to keep their focus when on the green felt at the tables.
But no matter your level of optimism, it’s clear that the Jets still need some key pieces in the upcoming draft. A draft in which they own four picks in the top 44 at 2,16,33 and 44. As always, intriguing options are being debated back and forth, but how many of those can the Jets seriously consider? Should they be willing to gamble on a player like Rueben Bain, given the concerns around his arm length? What about David Bailey, one of the draft’s best pass rushers, who isn’t as stout against the run as you might like?
Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese feels like the most likely pick at number two for the Jets’ new 3-4 defense. An off-ball linebacker who is expected to transition to edge at some point, could the Jets get right to it and line him up there on day 1? That would accelerate his development, but could mean more bumps in the road early on. Then what about pick sixteen?
In recent days, we’ve seen the name Jordyn Tyson thrown around quite a bit by online draftniks. However, with a lengthy injury history and a hamstring injury he suffered almost three months ago, his participation at his upcoming pro day will be limited.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper made some waves recently when he mocked Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to Gang Green with the 16th pick, which would mean adding a quarterback with an alarmingly low number of starts at fifteen. The Jets have plenty of options with their four premium picks, but given the playoff drought and potential job security concerns, do they play it safe or gamble?
A play-it-safe approach would mean taking the draft’s best player, Jeremiyah Love, with the second pick. You then entertain any trade offers for Breece Hall, assuming he’d sign his tender to help move a deal along, or play the pair together until a trade can be worked during the season.
Then, with pick sixteen, if the Ravens haven’t snatched him up, Penn State guard Vega Ioane would give the Jets the best offensive lineman in the class. Another safe pick. Adding Ioane to the Jets’ O-Line and putting Love behind them would give them the ability to field a top-five rushing attack, which means more points and time of possession. Not much more you can do to turn things around in a hurry than those options.
There are some who believe the Jets should pounce on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson if he’s sitting there with the 33rd pick, but that would give a desperate regime a player who would be of little use for much of the season if at all. But a 270lb edge defender along the lines of Malachi Lawrence? That might just give the Jets a day 1 starter who, at the very least, would be a modest improvement against both the run and the pass.
There are lots of different options Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn could choose from for the Jets on draft day. Perhaps they throw caution to the wind and take the short-armed Bain and injury-prone Tyson? But if that were to blow up in their collective faces, it could lead to owner Woody Johnson cleaning house and starting all over again should the playoff drought drag on for yet another miserable season.
