It would be just like NE to either stay put and draft an OT or trade down and take one ahead of us. Then we don't get the OT the Jets want, and JD pivots to a defensive player or even a WR, but then doesn't wind up getting an OT worth a damn in the draft. You really can't make this shit up with the Jets. They get screwed going and coming, in addition to screwing themselves. With as many shaky OLs as there are in the NFL, I've found it hard to believe that more than two OTs haven't been selected before the 10th pick, much less one of Alt and Fashanu sometimes dropping to #10 in these mock drafts. I wouldn't be surprised to see 3-4 OTs go in the first 10-15 picks.
Yeah, it's hard to have confidence that the Jets leadership won't screw up the draft by continuing to make idiot decisions. However, I think that Fuaga is worth a damn. I don't believe that he has the star upside of Alt and Fashanu, but he will likely be a solid, 10-year starting, plug-and-play right tackle. I hate that I can't say the same about any other left tackle in the draft, but it's not the end of the world to sign a veteran left tackle like Williams or Fant in free agency. This will be a deep tackle draft, and the Jets can draft a developmental left tackle later in the draft. So, realistically, the Jets have a great chance of getting a decent tackle at pick 10. Three quarterbacks are locks (Williams, Maye, Daniels) for the first nine picks, as are three WR's (Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze). Atlanta is desperate to draft a pass rusher, and Turner is extremely talented. If the two left tackles go in the first nine, that leaves the Jets with Fuaga. Heck, if a competition for McCarthy develops to the point that he is included in the first nine, the Jets even have a chance at Fashanu. Alternately, somebody in the top 9 could fall in love with a Bowers. So, we don't need to despair: between free agency and the draft we CAN fix our OL.
I still hold out a hope for Fashanu. Beyond him and Alt it really gets interesting. Fuaga to me is a Guard. With his relatively slow footwork and small arms, it's quite clear to me he is a really good Guard prospect nor a true OT. Which means I am not taking him at 10 as I think we will need true OT. Probably I would try to trade down in this case. However with Latham, Guyton, and Mims, we can still get a decent OT prospect. We would need to make best effort to trade down though as one of these guys will be there later.
I totally agree that the best thing for repairing the Jets OL is to trade back if the top 2 tackles are gone. They might get a second round pick if they trade back to the mid teens. They could then draft two promising tackles with their first two picks, followed by a good WR in the third round and a guard and run-stopping tackle in the 4th round. However, I disagree that Fuaga will have to play guard. His feet are not in the class of Fashanu or Alt, but this is a guy who allowed 0 sacks, that's right, 0 sacks in his college career. He has good pass-protection technique, his feet are quick enough for tackle, and his arms are 33 3/8 inches long. There are many tackles in the NFL with 33 inch arms. So, yeah, I would race to bring up Fashanu's name if he were to fall to 10, but i think we could at least solidify the right tackle position with Fuaga if Fashanu doesn't fall to us,.
I can see Joe doing something desperate like trading up to 8 or 9 for Fuaga. Oh, ye draft gods spare us a nightmare like that! I still can't accept that we gave up Darrisaw plus a third rounder to get AVT!
Let's see how he does in agility drills during combine, but he looked slow on tape - more of a power guy. Which starting tackles are with 33 inch arms? Usually absolute minimum is 34. I know Slater is a notable exception but he is a freak athletically with extremely quick feet.
\\ The list of current tackles with less than 34 inch arms include Slater, Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, D.J. Humphries, Bernhard Raimann, Alaric Jackson, Walker Little, Abraham Lucas, Rasheed Walker, Nicholas Petit-Frere, and Max Mitchell. Other recent tackles with less that 34 inch arms included Taylor Lewan, Joe Thomas, Joe Staley, Ryan Ramczyk, and Mitchell Schwartz Don't get me wrong. I think long arms are an invaluable asset for NFL tackles. None of the tackles I mention had LESS THAN 33 inch arms. In fact, NO good tackle in recent years has had less than 33 inch arms. That's one reason I think it's a mistake to slide AVT with his 32-inch arms out to tackle.
All of this, and add in the fact they are essentially rebuilding the offense while he holds it down and they loaded up on defense. They will "struggle" for a year or two, like they did this year (some struggle) and then be a monster again. The advantages of a true generational QB and how he can be the glue when you have to tear things down because of the salary cap.
Really KC won the SB with their defense. Their offense was very average but their defense shut down the Dolphins, Ravens, and even the niners.
Agreed, but I believe their offense was average because Mahomes made it average with a bunch of guys that were either young or just not that great. Aaron Rodgers did that many times, Tom Brady did it many times, how many times did these teams retool their offense while these guys kept them in contention every year? The holy Grail that I've wanted the Jets to achieve for years, but I've lost a lot of hope that it'll ever happen.
Their offense was maybe average overall…but the real thing is that when they NEEDED to be, they were perfect. They had an average game overall, but when they got to OT and NEEDED to score a TD to WIN, they did it. Easily. Marched right down the field. Easily.
Spags half time adjustments were off the charts... he really is a valuable DC and has 4 SB rings to prove it.
I know that it can be fixed, but I don't know that JD can fix it. I'll believe that if can be fixed after JD signs at least a decent LT in FA and gets Fashanu or Fuaga in the draft, and maybe replaces Tomlinson with a FA OG, and then they play well when the season begins.
Same here. Honestly, I do think that a good GM COULD fix this OL this year…to me, the plan looks something like sign a starting quality OT in free agency, then use the 10th pick to take one of the top 3 OT in the draft. Keep McG and Tippman and let them battle it out for C, I’m assuming AVT can come back and play either guard spot, and restructure Tomlinson to get his pay more in line with his performance. If that can’t happen, I’d lean towards keeping him and sucking it up because it’s enough to have to find 2 new OTs and I’d rather not have another spot to fill at guard, but I guess we can always roll with Tippman and AVT at guard and McG at C if we had to. Then I’d also use another pick somewhere on a mid round OT. I’d like to sign a decent WR2 in free agency or else use our third rounder on a WR. That’s not an impossible ask. That being said, after 5 years if JD can’t FINALLY get us a decent OL this year, he needs to go.
I disagree with most of the above. I don't think there is a chance that Fashanu will be there at #10. I think there could be at least 3 OT taken before the Jets pick. You know how key positions like OT and CB start flying off the board in the top of the 1st round once one or two are taken. If both Alt and Fashanu are gone by pick #6 or #7, I could easily see the #8 or #9 team taking Fuaga. I don't think that many people in the NFL see him as an OG. I think he will a RT and a good one. He's too tall to play OG. That really could create sightline problems for the QB. I think Latham could go not long after Fuaga, and maybe even before. The problem with both Mims and Guyton are that most likely they would be of little or no benefit this season, and that's when the Jets need the OT they draft. While you don't draft a player just for his rookie season, it would mean that they'd have to keep an extra OL to play in case a starter goes down. I'm not sure that either Guyton or Mims should step onto the field during the regular season.
I disagree that McG should be brought back. I believe that I read that he was the worst-rated C in the NFL last season. There has to be a better backup available. More than likely AVT is not going to be ready to start the season, so we need another starting-caliber OG and Tomlinson needs to go, not be restructured. Tomlinson was as bad this past season as he was in 2022. IMO having him as one of the starters doesn't make the OL "fixed." I'd only sign a FA WR after I had signed a backup QB, a starting LT, a starting OG, and preferably an OL who can play both OG and OT not named Turner. If I had my drothers, JD would sign Brissett as the backup QB, Onwenu for RG, Tyron Smith for LT, and Fant as the swing OT or possible RT. That would make it so that I didn't have to draft an OT at # 10, which could help in the draft. If I really liked Fuaga, then I could either take him at #10 if I feared that someone else would take him, or try to trade down a little and then take him. If I felt comfortable that Warren could function as the swing OT this season, then I could consider trading down, taking one of Guyton or Mims , then take a WR in the 2nd round with the pick I received for trading down.
