The New York Jets Offseason
2022 Dream Draft Pick: Kayvon Thibodeaux
The New York Jets need to find an edge rusher that can wreak havoc in the backfield and change games for them as the AFC East gets more competitive and with Aidan Hutchinson likely to be gone in the top 3 picks the draft, the best player they can hope for to fall to them is Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux is an elite athletics specimen and has the highest ceiling among edge rushers in the draft and having him play alongside budding star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams could give Thibodeaux the best chance for NFL superstardom.
The To-Do List
Go after Zach Ertz
The New York Jets need to sign a veteran tight end for their young quarterback in Zach Wilson because the one thing he very much appeared to be missing in New York his rookie was a reliable safety valve target for Wilson to throw the ball to when he came under fire from the pass rush, something that happened quite often in 2021, and getting him a veteran tight end that can separate from defenders quickly when the pressure starts to close in on Zach Wilson. Luckily for the Jets, this offseason has more than a few tight ends that fit the mold of a reliable target and would certainly give the development of Zach Wilson a major boost and no tight end in the free agency is as accomplished as Zach Ertz is coming out Arizona. Zach Ertz isn't what he once was in Philadelphia when he set the single season record for receptions by a tight and won the Super Bowl with the Eagles but with age and experience comes perfection and their isn't a better route-runner at the tight end position than Ertz. Ertz is a very reliable player who can keep drives alive by picking up the 3rd down yardage need to keep the chains moving and would Wilson a target to throw to in emergencies which will give him more snaps and reps to become a better player. He also can bring a winning culture into an organization that hasn't had one in a very long time after he was apart of a Philadelphia team that won one of the moist memorable Super Bowls in a very long time and I think this team needs that more than anything. He won't be a flashy pick or a game changer on the field, but he's the best kind of player the Jets can go after to bring some change to this organization.
Draft defensive backs in Day 1
The New York Jets have the 4th and 10th pick in the 2022 NFL draft that is chalk full of elite talent everywhere not named quarterback or running back, both positions the Jets don't need in 2022, and one of the best positions in this draft is in the secondary with talent at both cornerback and safety and the Jets need to tap into this well in order to become a much better team immediately. This draft features a unicorn prospect at the safety position in Kyle Hamilton who has a very strong chance of being available at the 4th pick in the draft and he would absolutely change life in New York and before you stop me and remind me that the Jets had Jamal Adams there in and they picked him #6 overall in 2017 and didn't change life but Kyle Hamilton is a much better prospect than Jamal Adams was and will be far better in coverage than Adams is. Hamilton is a unicorn, once in decade, potential HOF prospect that the Jets need more than anything and teams are going to let fall because safeties aren't valued at a premium pick which will only benefit the New York Jets. With their 10th in the draft the Jets also have a real possibility of drafting the 1st cornerback off the board and this is where it gets tricky for the Jets because their isn't a clear and obvious cornerback that has separated from the bunch but if their is a cornerback that everyone has close to if not at the top is Derek Stingley Jr. out of LSU whose freshman seasons at Baton Rouge was open of the most impressive season's in college football and the only reason he's falling is because of minor injuries and pretty much mailing his performance his last two years. Stingley showed enough last year for me to proclaim him as the best cornerback in the draft with his elite athleticism, technique, and ball skills and if you combine him with Hamilton's skill set, you have the makings of an elite defensive backfield for over a decade. The offensive line and receiving corps certainly need help and using one of the two first round picks in the draft would probably yield them a great player to address one of the needs but turning one unit into a dominant presence is what brings teams to the playoffs and beyond and the Jets can do that in one draft.
Get Wilson a veteran receiver through trade or free agency
The drafty has good receiver prospects but the NFL draft is a tricky place to try and fix that position if you need help because their often plenty of receivers that are fools gold coming out of college and flame out very quickly and although a young receiver is a highly enticing, getting Wilson an accomplished veteran receiver that can win 1-on-1 on the outside repeatedly is something that Wilson needs now and their are a few player that could find themselves on the free agent market or trade block for the Jets to take advantage of. The guy I would expect the Jets to go after in free agency is either Chris Godwin or Allen Robinson. Chris Godwin is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL and is one of the elite route-runners in football. He could be an extremely viable outside and inside receiver for the Jets and would give Zach Wilson an extremely competent receiver on the squad. Allen Robinson is coming out of a very bad situation in Chicago after that franchise completely imploded and I would expect teams, including the Jets, to consider his bad 2021 season to be a complete wash. He's a very good outside receiver when he's clicking with his quarterback and Wilson's arm talent certainly would be on display with him throwing passes to Robinson. On the trade market the most enticing receiver available, if the rumor bears any fruit, is Amari Cooper from the Dallas Cowboys whose massive contract at $20,000,000 ways heavily on Jerry Jones's books and his play, while highly impressive on occasion, doesn't live up to the money and if the Jets were to give up a 2nd round pick for him or swap the 10th pick for him and the Cowboys 24th pick, I don't think it would be a bad move for the organization. Cooper is a top 3 route-runner in the NFL and has excellent ball skills and is certainly a bona-fide proven #1 receiver in the NFL and if the Jets can take advantage of a potentially soured relationship in Dallas it would to the benefit of the Jets organization.