Report: Jets have discussed trade for two-time All-Pro tackle
The Jets' solution to their offensive line woes might involve another trade with the Green Bay Packers.
Per OutKick's Armando Salguero, New York has "discussed in passing" the idea of putting together a trade package for Packers All-Pro tackle David Bakhtiari.
The 10-year pro out of Colorado has spent his entire career in Green Bay and was named First-Team All-Pro following the 2018 and 2020 seasons.
Health has been a concern for him the past two seasons after he tore his ACL on New Year's Eve 2020. That injury limited him to 12 starts over the past two seasons but is in the rearview entering the 2023 season.
"I really like how I'm feeling...I have finally not had a surgery for the first time in the last two or three offseasons. I had four surgeries in 20 months," he told Packers.com earlier this offseason.
It's no secret that the Jets' offensive line is the biggest cause of concern for New York. Head coach Robert Saleh pointedly called out the unit on Tuesday's episode of "Hard Knocks."
"You can have a Hall-of-Fame quarterback, you can have two $10 million-plus receivers, you can have the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year...None of it f----in' matters unless the big boys up front change who the f--- we are," Saleh said during a full team meeting.
Bakhtiari has a close relationship with Rodgers dating back to their time in Green Bay. During an appearance on FanDuel TV's "Up and Adams," former Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert told Kay Adams that Bakhtiari was the player in Green Bay who Rodgers would miss the most. He also noted "a chance there's a reunion one day."
As great as Bakhtiari was at protecting Rodgers, it's easy to understand why the two would want to reconnect.
Per Pro Football Focus, Bakhtiari (87.8) graded as the fifth-best pass-blocking tackle in football last season. In 322 pressure opportunities, PFF credited him with allowing no sacks and only 10 total pressures.
He's exactly what the Jets need. New York's offensive line has tough matchups against edge rushers Bradley Chubb (Miami), Matthew Judon (New England) and Von Miller (Buffalo) within its own division. On top of that, the unit will also have to slow down Micah Parsons, Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett, as well as Philadelphia's and Washington's devastating defensive fronts, at various times throughout the season.
The Packers have no reason to trade Bakhtiari, meaning they should only agree to a deal if the Jets pay a premium. At this point, though, New York is all-in on a Super Bowl push and needs to take a page out of the Los Angeles Rams' playbook by parting with future draft picks for talent that can help the team win in the present.
A 2024 or 2025 draft pick isn't going to get the Jets to the Super Bowl in 2023. Bakhtiari, however, might.
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