The New York Jets are coming off a 2024 season where the expectations were at an all-time high but ultimately ended with an all-too-familiar 5-12 finish.
With the seventh overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, new general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have a lot of questions to answer this offseason.
Will Aaron Rodgers be the quarterback? If not, how will you address it? Should they trade up to acquire a franchise passer, stay put and take the best player available, or trade back and acquire draft capital?
The new regime has had its hands full up to this point, making changes to Glenn’s staff and breaking down the tape to figure out who it wants to move on from and who it wants to build around.
Top Draft Targets for New York Jets
The Jets’ season was a disaster. Robert Saleh was fired after five weeks, and Joe Douglas was shown the door a month later, giving New York a headstart on the hiring process for the next regime. If the Jets elect to run it back with Rodgers one more time, then they’ll need to protect the 41-year-old. If they decide to move on from the future Hall of Famer, a quarterback may be on the team’s radar during the draft. New York could use help on the interior defensive line, at the tight end position, and an offensive tackle, too.
Mason Graham | Michigan | IDL | Junior
The Jets allowed 121.1 rushing yards per game a season ago, which was around the middle of the pack. However, they ranked No. 27 in rushing touchdowns allowed per game at 1.3. After Gang Green fired Saleh, the defense went off the rails. Drafting an elite run protector could surge this defense back into the top five.
2024 stats: 45 TOT | 3.5 SACK | 7 TFL | Named as an All-American
Will Campbell | LSU | OT | Junior
The offensive line took about 12 weeks to gel. With injuries to both tackle positions and an unknown long-term at right tackle, Will Campbell could add elite protection for the next decade. Especially if the Jets elect to keep Rodgers, they’ll need to keep their 41-year-old quarterback off the turf and out of the blue tent. Campbell is highly regarded as the best offensive lineman in his class, providing a day-one starter with limitless potential.
2024 stats: 2 SACK | 5 QB Hits | 11 Hurries | 861 Snaps at LT
Tyler Warren | Penn State | TE | Senior
The Jets offense still lacks some playmakers. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson is amongst the league’s rising stars, but his frustrations with the team’s constant turnover at head coach and general manager could force him out of New York. Davante Adams has been an All-Pro wide receiver for the majority of his career, but the 32-year-old doesn’t have a guaranteed spot on this roster. Tyler Warren, the tight end out of Penn State, put up unbelievable numbers in his senior year, making him a potential top-10 draft pick. He has the ability to take over a game as a pass catcher.
2024 stats: 104 REC | 1,233 YDS | 8 TD
Abdul Carter | Penn State | EDGE | Junior
Abdul Carter is undeniably a general talent. Why is he only ranked fourth on this list? Since the Jets don’t draft until pick No. 7, it’s a long shot that Carter falls that many spots. But if he does, he’d be a no-brainer. Jermaine Johnson is coming off a torn Achilles that he suffered in week two this past season in the Jets’ game against the Tennessee Titans. The team has to make a decision on his fifth-year option, and he may not have the same explosiveness.
2024 stats: 68 TOT | 12 SACK | 24 TFL | 2 FF | 4 PD
Kelvin Banks Jr. | Texas | OL | Junior
In the scenario where Will Campbell comes off the board for New York, but they still want to draft an offensive lineman, they might reach a few picks or trade back and draft the next best tackle option in Kelvin Banks Jr. He played all of his snaps at left tackle, but the Jets’ first-round pick from a year ago in Olu Fashanu, has the ability to play both guard and tackle spots on the line. Banks is a little raw, but the right coaching can clean that stuff up and turn him into a franchise left tackle.
2024 stats: 1 SACK | 2 QB Hits | 7 Hurries | 934 Snaps at LT | Consensus All-American | 2024 John Outland Trophy Winner | 2024 Vince Lombardi Award Winner
Jahdae Barron | Texas | CB | Senior
The Jets will most likely lose cornerback D.J. Reed in free agency, so secondary help may be on the team’s radar. There have been reports stating that Glenn wants to add players from his Detroit Lions defense a year ago to this Jets defense now. Cornerback Carlton Davis is someone the Jets may target, but if they decide to add to the position in the draft, Jahdae Barron would fit this team. He has elite ball skills and can make plays defensively for a team that has struggled with creating turnovers.
2024 stats: 11 PD | 5 INT | 67 TOT | 3 TFL
Jalen Milroe | Alabama | QB | Junior
There’s a rush in the NFL to land your franchise quarterback – it potentially gives a new regime job security. Because of that pressure, teams tend to reach for a quarterback in hopes of landing the next elite quarterback. Jalen Milroe isn’t considered a top-10 pick by the draft experts, but he plays a premium position. Milroe is coming off a year where he turned the ball over a bunch, but as the combine and pro days start rolling around, he can jump up the draft boards.
2024 stats: 16 TD | 11 INT | 2,844 YDS | 64.5% COMP | 148.8 RTG
Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss | QB | Senior
Jaxson Dart isn’t regarded as a first-round pick. He lit up the stat sheet in 2024, but his play at the Senior Bowl left analysts in confusion. He didn’t make the most of his opportunity to show off in front of the NFL scouts, but he wasn’t a complete failure either. With a strong combine and/or pro day, Dart can find himself going in the top 15.
2024 stats: 29 TD | 6 INT | 4,279 YDS | 69.3% COMP | 180.7 RTG | 495 RUSH YDS | 3 RTD