Way-too-early New York Jets NFL Draft preview
The 2023 NFL Draft is April 27-29 in Kansas City. Here is the projected first-round order, per Tankathon.
2022 record: 7-10 | First-round pick: No. 13 | Team needs: Offensive line, QB
Snapshot: After collapsing in the second half, the Jets find themselves a few pieces shy of being a playoff team. They will have a new starting QB next season, but GM Joe Douglas must bolster the trenches, too.
Potential first-round picks: Peter Skoronski, OT; Northwestern; Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State; Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
According to Pro Football Focus, New York’s OL was the 29th-graded pass-blocking and 26th-graded run-blocking unit this season. The ever-shuffling OL faces a potential overhaul this offseason.
Starters C Connor McGovern and T George Fant will likely hit free agency, and LT Duane Brown could retire. G/T Alijah Vera-Tucker and T Mekhi Becton will return from injury next season, and while Vera-Tucker has proven to be productive, Becton is a wild card.
Northwestern’s Skoronski would be a perfect fit. He was the highest-graded pass blocker in the Big Ten this past year, per PFF.
Ohio State’s Johnson, who has experience playing guard, wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.
While the expectation is that New York will have a veteran starting QB next season, could the raw talent Richardson still be in play? Richardson has a rocket arm and is a dangerous runner, but his accuracy is terrible. He only completed 53.8% of his passes this season, throwing nine interceptions.
A rebuilding team might not be willing to risk its future on such a project, but the Jets and their near-playoff-caliber roster could be a solid fit. If Richardson were to pan out, it could open a long-term window for the Jets to compete.
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