GM Joe Douglas: Jets wouldn't have traded Sam Darnold without No. 2 pick

The New York Jets made it abundantly clear they will take a quarterback with the second pick in the upcoming draft by trading Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers. Jets general manager Joe Douglas admitted that if the team did not have such a high draft pick, it probably would have stuck with Darnold rather than risk a quarterback falling to them.

"Having the No. 2 pick, I think it’s safe to say if our pick was a little bit later we wouldn’t be having this discussion right now," Douglas told reporters Tuesday. "We’d be comfortable moving ahead with Sam."

Now that Darnold is gone, it becomes a question of which QB the Jets will draft second overall as his replacement. That may not even be much of a question, as the Jets reportedly seem set on grabbing BYU's Zach Wilson.

As for Darnold, he gets an opportunity to get his career back on track in Carolina after a rough start with the Jets. While he has mostly struggled in the NFL so far, many believe that is because he's spent most of his time playing for Adam Gase, who has developed a reputation for limiting players' potential.