Jets General Manager Joe Douglas has finally opened up about the team’s potential maneuvers in the 2024 NFL Draft, hinting at the possibility of trading up into the next round.
Scheduled to make just one pick on Friday night, the Jets find themselves pondering whether to alter their course under Douglas’s leadership.
In a calculated move on Thursday, the Jets traded back one spot to No. 11 in the first round, securing Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu to fortify their offensive line. This strategic maneuver also netted Douglas additional draft capital in Rounds 4 and 5, with picks 129 and 157 from Minnesota, setting the stage for potential trades later in the weekend.
“Having that extra ammo is great,” Douglas remarked, discussing the prospect of trading up into the second round. “It gives us a lot more flexibility. So we’ll huddle up tomorrow, see how the rest of the round goes, and we’ll put our board together again tomorrow night.”
With no pick in Round 2 due to last year’s trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are eyeing their next selection at No. 72 overall in Round 3.
“I’m sure there’s going to be about five or six different scenarios that we’ll run through in terms of moving up, moving back, saying put,” Douglas elaborated. “So having these extra picks certainly has given us the flexibility to do a lot of different things.”
Despite acquiring additional picks from the Vikings, the Jets lack the ammunition necessary to trade up into the second round this year. Douglas may need to consider employing a 2025 pick to facilitate such a move.
The Jets have a history of successful second-round trades, as seen in 2022 when they traded up with the Giants to select running back Breece Hall at No. 36. Similarly, in 2023, they traded their fourth-round pick to the New England Patriots for later-round selections.
Here’s where the Jets stand for the remainder of the draft after their first-round trade:
- Round 3 — 72nd overall
- Round 4 — 111th overall
- Round 4 — 129th overall
- Round 4 — 134th overall
- Round 5 — 157th overall
- Round 6 — 185th overall
- Round 7 — 257th overall
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