The 2024 NFL Draft was one to remember.
The Jets made some moves during the draft, including a lot of trades that included moving back one spot from the No. 10 to No. 11 pick. General manager Joe Douglas made five total trades during the draft and New York drafted seven players — five on offense and two defensive backs. New York drafted: Penn State OT Olu Fashanu, Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley, Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen, Florida State QB Jordan Travis, South Dakota State RB Isaiah Davis, CFL CB Qwan’Tez Stiggers, Alabama S Jaylen Key.
In a make-or-break year for Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh, they needed to get this draft right. Adding several free agents this offseason put the Jets in a good spot before the draft.
Now, let’s take a look at the winners and losers from the Jets’ picks.
JETS 2024 DRAFT: Jersey numbers | Expert grades | Full class | Superlatives | UDFA tracker
Jets post-2024 NFL Draft winners and losers
Winners
QB Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers will be 41 years old in December. He’s also coming off one the worst injuries of his career, but the Jets added three new starters on the offensive line and drafted Olu Fashanu in the first-round. Fashanu gives the Jets much-needed depth at the offensive line, secures a left tackle for the future and gives Rodgers more support. The addition of wide receiver Malachi Corley out of Western Kentucky is also a major positive.
RB Breece Hall
Breece Hall tore his ACL in 2022 and started 2023 on a pitch count. Hall should be full-go in 2024 and ready to run through a wall. Adding more depth to the offensive line gives the Jets many options in the run game and gives Hall some piece of mind. The additions of Fashanu as well as eight-time Pro-Bowl tackle Tyron Smith, guard John Simpson and the return of former Jets tackle Morgan Moses give the Jets one of its best offensive lines in a long time. Hall will also have backups behind him to give him some time off the field.
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TE Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert
The Jets have three tight ends on their current roster: Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert and Kenny Yeboah. They had the chance to draft highly-touted tight end Brock Bowers but decided to skip on him and draft Fashanu instead. That leaves Conklin and Ruckert as the de facto starters at tight end. Conklin had a very underrated year in 2023, racking up a career-high in receptions with 61 and yards with 621. Ruckert was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft and is ready for a breakout year. Not drafting Bowers guarantees both tight ends will be a factor in this offense.
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Losers
RB Izzy Abanikanda
The running back room was in shambles after the failure and releases of Dalvin Cook and Michael Carter in the middle of the season. The Jets needed some new wheels. But taking two running backs in the later rounds begs the question: What will they do with Izzy Abanikanda? He only had 22 carries in 2023 but showed some flashes in the pre-season. Fourth-round running back Braelon Allen looks like an absolute beast and fifth-rounder Isaiah Davis could be a secret weapon for the Jets. Abanikanda needs to show this summer why he should stay on the roster.
WR Allen Lazard
The Jets have two new weapons on the outside. New York signed veteran wide receiver Mike Williams to a one-year deal worth up to $ 10 million and drafted Corley in the third round. That leaves a crowded wide receiver room. Allen Lazard signed a four-year deal this past offseason worth up to $ 44 million but was very underwhelming in his first year. He couldn’t find his rhythm with three different quarterbacks under center and finished with 23 catches for 311 yards and only one touchdown in 14 games. Lazard was also rumored to be on the trade block in March, so he could be on the move with the newly added receivers.
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OT Carter Warren and Wes Schweitzer
Douglas drafted Carter Warren in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He played 401 snaps and allowed five sacks and accounted for two penalties in his rookie debut. Not the best. Wes Schweitzer was signed from the Jets practice squad and played 149 snaps last season. There are some questions as to who will remain on the Jets roster with the additions of Smith, Simpson, Moses and Fashanu, as well as Alijah Vera-Tucker’s return. Warren played a lot in his rookie season but allowed too many sacks. Schweitzer, a seven-year vet, deals with constant injuries and has been mediocre his entire career. Warren and Schweitzer might be the odd men out, especially if the Jets look elsewhere for more depth.
