The New York Jets have an offensive line problem; three of them to be exact.
After rookie Joe Tippmann put together a promising campaign and Alijah Vera-Tucker looked like a star before his Achilles injury, New York can feel fairly comfortable about the interior of their offensive line. Finding a third starter, whether it be a left guard or a veteran center to take the pressure off Tippmann, is a necessity.
However, both tackle spots are void of talent and promise, putting the Jets’ season in doubt before quarterback Aaron Rodgers takes a single snap.
General manager Joe Douglas will be faced with replenishing those spots during free agency and the NFL Draft, where New York holds the 10th pick but no second-rounder. It may seem pressing to buy the offensive line of the future, but former Jets right tackle Damien Woody has another idea in mind: supporting second-year tackle Carter Warren.
“I’ll say it again, Carter Warren has to factor in the #Jets plans on the OL,” Woody posted to X (formerly Twitter). “You have to develop guys like him … tools are there for him to be a starter.”
Warren was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and while he missed time early in his rookie season, he started at both tackle spots during the second half of the season.
Frankly, it didn’t go well. He gave up five sacks and 20 pressures as the offense continued to cannibalize itself in the season’s final weeks.
With that said, the book doesn’t have to be closed on Warren. The versatility to at least look the part on either side may render him the team’s third tackle, and there’s a good chance he finds the field anyway next season. Woody hopes Warren can be an alternative to the free agent splurge many hope to see coming.
“All I’m saying is the fanbase wants to spend their way out of the OL problem and you can’t,” he posted. “You’ve gotta develop homegrown talent into starters.”
New York may secure a tackle at No. 10 or sign one in free agency, but that still leaves a tackle spot up for grabs. Woody didn’t suggest the Jets need to start him next season, but spending big may come back to haunt them.
Perhaps the scenario he envisions includes finding a cheaper veteran at right tackle and allowing Warren to compete for the spot before the season.
Whatever the solution may be, it will be balanced against the resources necessary to replenish a receiving corps that is also badly in need of additional talent. Rodgers’ return is nice, but without the requisite offseason acquisitions, this is a roster incapable of a deep playoff run.
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