NFL futures, 2 New York Jets bets: Can Aaron Rodgers lead club to the promised land?
It's been anything but a quiet offseason for the Jets, and with Aaron Rodgers now in town, a deep playoff run is suddenly not just a goal, but an expectation.
Jets high-level odds
- Wins: Over 9.5 (-130) | Under 9.5 (+110)
- To Win Division: +270
- To Win Conference: +1100
- To Win Super Bowl: +1800
Considering the mess that New York found themselves in last year with their quarterback situation, one has to be somewhat impressed to see that they finished the year 7-10. At one point they were in the playoff mix, but they wrapped the year on a six-game skid to put an end to that.
The foundation of their 2022 success was New York absolutely nailing their draft class. The Jets had three first-round picks last season, turning two of them into the Defensive and Offensive Rookies of the Year. CB Ahmad Gardner is already a star and WR Garrett Wilson is seemingly not far behind him. Tack on that the Jets got tremendous play out of second-round rookie running back Breece Hall before he got hurt, and this is a team with exciting pieces throughout.
OK, we did it. We went two whole paragraphs without mentioning Aaron Rodgers. In case you've been living under a rock, the future Hall of Fame quarterback was traded to the Jets this offseason. That's kind of a big deal. Rodgers should help alleviate New York's biggest weakness, a questionable offensive line, thanks to his quick passes and pocket manueverability.
Rodgers has Hall, Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Randall Cobb and Tyler Conklin to play with on offense. The cupboard is stacked, and things are looking exciting in New York.
The defense is also looking like a formidable group. DT Quinnen Williams leads a fearsome passvrush that includes a pair of young talents at EDGE in Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, plus Carl Lawson.
Two futures bets to make on the New York Jets
New York Jets to win Division (+270 DK)
Found under "Futures"
Did I go in with a preconceived notion that I'd like the Jets to win the AFC East? Yes, as a matter of a fact I did. That was only confirmed once I looked a bit under the hood.
New York has premier talents at the most important positions. All of them. QB, OL, WR, CB, DL. Their offense could be a major issue for the other AFC teams, and Gardner and Williams lead a defense that could quietly be one of the NFL's best.
Buffalo is still in the AFC East, and Miami should be strong, too. Even New England likely will be flirting with .500. I'm starting to sour a bit on the Bills relative to some of the other AFC teams, and perhaps that's born from their consistency of late and a hunger for fresh blood, but the Jets to me offer strong value to bring home the division crown in 2023.
Garrett Wilson to lead NFL in receiving yards (+2000 DK)
Found under "League Leaders"
Wilson turned 147 targets into 1,103 yards and Rookie of the Year honors, and that was with Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White throwing him passes.
It's easy to foresee a world where Rodgers clicks with Wilson this summer and makes him his favorite target, the talent is undeniable. Rodgers sure had a tendency to over-target a talented wide receiver that played alongside him in Green Bay, you might have heard of him.
From 2018-2021, Davante Adams played 15+ games three times, finishing third in the NFL in receiving twice and seventh the other season. Wilson will likely need to push 1,500+ to be in the running for this future, and by all means consider his normal over/under, which is set at 1150.5. I like the value here on Wilson taking a big second-year leap and cementing himself as one of the NFL's best receivers.
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