Exactly! For the Jets to even consider taking Bowers in the draft, JD should have, at a minimum, signed Tyron Smith to start at LT, signed Fant to be the swing OT, signed Michael Onwenu who can play either RG or RT, signed Kevin Zeitler or an OG equally as good, and signed another starting caliber player either at RT or RG. Of course, that's improbable, if not impossible, considering the Jets cap situation and the dysfunction of the offense and organization, and likelihood that both Saleh and JD will be gone following the 2024 season, and therefore, few FAs will want to sign here. The only ones who do, will probably be the older ones who are looking for one last big pay day, or want to say that they played with Aaron Rodgers for one season. He's definitely a great prospect. Aside from the issues of how horrible the OL is and protecting Rodgers, the problem is that the Jets' offense doesn't revolve around throws to the TE like KC's does. Hackett would have to change the offense. Who's going to trust him to reliably do that? While the Jets do have a very good TE Coach in Middleton, which should bring out Bowers' best, would he be wasted in Hackett's offense? Also, even considering that Hackett will likely be gone after this season, would Bowers' career turn out any better than Vernon Davis? I thought Davis was going to re-write the record books, but his career wound up not being that great. George Kittle is a great TE for the 49ers, but he may make more impact on their offense with his blocking than he does receiving, which imo works to negate his value. Would Bowers be used more like Kelce in KC or Kittle in SF? If they want better blocking, then their 1st round pick should be on an OL not a blocking TE who sometimes receives. Although Bowers is already much more than a blocking TE, would the Jets ever use him as anything more than as a blocking TE and occasional receiver? Would they make him a featured part of the offense? If not, then his talents would be wasted, and they would be wasted if Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury again, because the Jets didn't adequately address the OL.
Kiper liking Latham is enough to scare me, but then adding the weight on top of it, make him even scarier. The kid from Ohio St. who is that big or about that big certainly did well last season, but we'll see how he does this season and future seasons, and if his weight causes injury issues.
I agree, with the caveat of Fautanu and Paul being left off that list. Based on what I've read, Fautanu is going to be an OG, not an OT in the NFL, and Paul doesn't have the athleticism and lateral movement ability that the Jets need at OT. If they're going to draft Paul, they might as well just re-sign Becton. I have concerns about Latham's size, and while Morgan would be a good scheme fit and a good prospect, imo, he's not at the same level as Fuaga, Guyton, Latham and Mims.
I agree on all accounts. I wouldn't be screaming at the TV if the Jets take Bowers at #10, either, but I'm sure hoping that JD has more sense than that. As you said, he needs to trade down and add that 2nd round pick, or at least get another 3rd round pick, that he could package with one of their 4th round picks and another pick to move up for a 2nd round pick, or do something creative to get a 2nd round pick, and the earlier the better. No QB will have a chance at succeeding with the Jets until they get the OL fixed. One should draft to the strength of the draft. JD has already whiffed on at least one, maybe two really good drafts for OTs, and all we have to show for it is Tippman, and an oft-injured AVT (that he burned picks moving up to draft), and Becton who is heading to FA. Meanwhile, several great young OTs have come into the NFL and JD had an opportunity to draft some of them. He needs to stick to his initial promise of fixing the OL and building from the trenches out. Flashy playmakers are of little or no use if the QB doesn't have time to find them. Conversely, with a strong OL, even above average and average playmakers can be made to look a lot better and more productive by a strong OL and above average QB.
Fashanu at 10 is appearing more and more possible. I think there will be no way that Williams, Maye, Daniels, Harrison, Nabers, Odunze, Turner, and Alt fall out of the top 9. If I'm right, all the Jets need for Fashanu to fall is for some team to fall in love with just one of Bowers, Verse, Chop, McCarthy, or Penix.
Of course, the odds of getting Fashanu at 10 will be just about 0 if the commentators are right that Harbaugh will put a priority on getting a tackle at 5. It's pretty clear that in this scenario, the Chargers and the Titans will wipe the top two tackles off the board. On the plus side, the Jets in this case either select an elite talent like Bowers or take in a draft pick haul for trading down from 10, as another team is likely to want one of the elite talents left or the number 4 quarterback.
It’ll be interesting to look back on, but I believe Fuaga’s ceiling is a starting OG, and not as good a a a healthy AVT. For that I do not believe he’s worth drafting at 10.
Fashanu is not Harbaugh’s type of player imo. Jim like jumbo sets, big packages, running offenses (he hired Greg Roman as his OC again and that’s all he does is run the ball). Fashanu is the opposite of a big, tough lineman. He is light and agile. I think if they go tackle, he goes Alt, Latham or Fuaga who more fits that profile.
Hard pass on Bowers at 10. If he's still there when we pick it might help us be able to trade down? That is, if there is someone secure enough to trade up for a TE. TE's are too risky to take in the top 10. How their skill sets translate to the NFL are more unpredictable than WRs. There has been 1 top 10 TE that was worth it over the last 25 years. For every Vernon Davis there is a Kellen Winslow Jr, Eric Ebron,TJ Hawkenson, or Kyle Pitts. The odds of over drafting a TE top 10 are too high. Its a luxury pick that a more complete team can afford. We need quality young linemen for our future. We have failed at this for to long. We cant rely on merc tackles that are gone with the wind, we need to build a stable of home grown studs. (I get the, "JD will pick the wrong one anyway, so...", argument, but we still need to try.)
I'm wary of Bowers. It might not be fair to him specifically, but there have been a lot of disappointing top 10 TEs in my memory. A lot of the best ones have been Day 2 picks. That and Jets and drafting TEs gives me an unsettled feeling (though I could generalize that to a lot of positions)... For me, for them to consider Bowers they would need to have secured 3 new starters on the OL in free agency, two OTs and an OG. Otherwise, there's going to be a huge hole at one OL spot with no other resources than a 3rd and 4th round picks to address it.
Based on what I've been reading so far, I think any of the following teams could take an OT before the Jets pick at #10: The Commanders who could look to trade down (with another top 10 team who covets getting the 2nd QB off the board) a few spots and then take an OT), the Cardinals, the Chargers, the Giants, the Titans, the Falcons, or the Bears at #9. I also wouldn't rule out some other team in the top 15 or top 20 who is in desperate need of a starting OT trading up into the top 10 to get the OT they want.
Yeah, in the projections I've seen, Harbaugh gets excited by and takes Ault at pick 5. I don't think he bites on Fashanu, Latham, or Fuaga at 5.
Of course, anything is possible. However, I doubt that Washington gives up the opportunity to take one of the top 3 quarterbacks (each of whom have great potential to be a true franchise quarterback) for Howell or somebody like Penix (who has been exposed as having a significantly lower floor). Similarly, the Patriots have a great need for a franchise quarterback to replace Brady, and they are in position to get one. Why would they give up their opportunity to get a true franchise quarterback for a player of lower potential value? The Cardinals (at pick 4) and the Bears (at pick 9) have adequate players at offensive tackle. Would they (or any team trading into their pick spots) really pass up the opportunity to draft one of the superlative wide receivers (also positions of need for the Bears) to draft Ault? Possibly, but I think that Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze have higher upsides at their positions than Ault has at his, and Fashanu's current weaknesses in the run game rule him out. The Falcons have adequate tackles and a severe need for an edge pass rusher. I strongly doubt that they will ignore the incredible upside of a Turner or a Verse to take an offensive tackle. I think they will want to wrap up the top pass rusher in the draft rather than trading away that possibility. The Giants could certainly pick Ault if he is available at 6 because the Giants have a need for another offensive tackle. But they also need a number one receiver who can transform their offense and give Jones or whoever a big-time target. So they are a maybe. The Chargers need another good tackle, but they also need a tight end. They could also want a number one wide receiver to take over from Keenan Allen and succeed where Mike Williams and Quenton Johnston have failed. That leaves the Titans as a team that will almost certainly take an offensive tackle. Anything can happen, but these are some of the factors that will determine if the Jets will have a chance for Fashanu. Generally, if either the Chargers or the Giants take Ault with their first round picks, the door will be closed on the Jets getting a top two tackle, as the Titans will very likely take Fashanu.
Just about every TE you listed could not block. They were all freak athletes who could catch and run great routes, but they couldn’t block. You knew if they were on the field it’s gonna be a pass. Bowers is an every down TE because he can block. He’s far more dangerous because of that because the D has to stay honest. I’m never in the camp of drafting a TE this early, but after years of watching Gronk eat our lunch I’m telling you this dude is a real weapon.
That highlighted part has been on my mind. In the end, I think it's more likely he'll be gone by #5 than drop to #10.
Really good point. Gronk was definitely a better blocker than Bowers. Which isn't to say Bowers can't block. When he had to, he did. Better than the washout TEs listed (washout might be too harsh). But, for two of his three college seasons UGA had a 5-star, behemoth TE that allowed them the luxury of lining up Brock Bowers everywhere on the field. Made Stetson Bennett into a draftable QB. Also helped Ladd McConkey go from walk-on to 1-2 round pick (although, I think a lot of McConkey's success is talent plus DBs underestimating his quickness, which I doubt he'll get away with in the NFL). The intangibles probably sell me on Bowers more than anything else. That kid never took a game off and made plays whenever Georgia needed one. I'm repeating myself from somewhere earlier, but his first down stretch in the Ohio State playoff was one of the greatest football efforts I've ever seen.
The early mocks are basically just leaning into flashier projection picks because they typically generate more buzz. Harbaurgh isn't some scrub or desperate for positive headlines HC who is gonna give 2 craps about buzz or hype factor. Little chance imo he passes over a building block piece like Alt in his 1st team draft for a WR or a TE. He'll find and develop those upgrade pieces outside the lottery round.
Yeah, maybe. I mention LA at #5 only because it would fit the Harbaugh-Bowers history. Bowers was a late-rising recruit because of CA's COVID restrictions. Harbaugh recruited him hard, before a lot of FBS teams had even heard of him. Then, as a freshman, Bowers had a strong game when Georgia curb-stomped Michigan in the playoff. Harbaugh has been semi-obsessed with UGA ever since. That translates into a ton of Brock Bowers film.
Geezus, I wasn’t even thinking about that. I’d consider doubling down on Bowers at #5. That said, we’re friends, right? I only ask because, on the flip side of that, if you happen to be watching the draft and hear, “with the (Any Round) XX pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select: Joe Milton, quarterback, University of Tennessee,” wait a couple days and then have someone sniff under my door for marinating corpse.
