Grading the draft class for each AFC East team after 2024 NFL Draft
New York Jets
Round 1, Pick 11-Olu Fashanu, Offensive Tackle, Penn State,
Round 2, Pick 65-Malachi Corley, Wide Receiver, Western Kentucky,
Round 4, Pick 134-Braelon Allen, Running Back, Wisconsin,
Round 5, Pick 171-Jordan Travis, Quarterback, Florida State
Round 5, Pick 173-Isaiah Davis, Running Back, South Dakota State
Round 5, Pick 176-Qwan'tez Stiggers, Cornerback, Toronto Argonauts,
Round 7, Pick 257-Jaylen Key, Safety, Alabama
The Jets came into this draft needing both offensive line help along with needing more weapons on offense outside of Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. In their first 4 picks, they did just that. They decided to trade down one spot from 10 to 11 and still picked up their offensive tackle of the future in Olu Fashanu.
By trading down one spot, they also were able to pick up more draft capital. Considering they didn't have a second round pick, it was key for them to get back there for more impactful weapons. Even though it was a slight reach, they decided to pick up Malachi Corley who is a pretty good receiving option outside of Wilson for the Jets.
Although they did get receiver help, they decided their tight end room was sufficient enough to not draft one. In the 4th, they picked up a great compliment to Hall with Braelon Allen. Allen can provide not just red zone/goal-to-go carries, but also has enough juice to be able to complement Hall when he needs a breather.
In the fifth round, they decided to get a third quarterback in Jordan Travis to develop behind both Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor. This is a solid pick-up for the Jets considering Rodgers is coming back from a season-ending injury from 2023 and Taylor is a seasoned veteran who is one of the better back-up quarterbacks in the league.
The last 3 picks were a little underwhelming, considering both the player and the depth on the current Jets roster. Isaiah Davis could be a good 3rd running back for the Jets, but by and large not the most impressive third running back say if Hall were to go down again this season.
Qwan'tez Stiggers is a good pick, but he has the hardest path to make the roster considering the depth in front of him. He has Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed in front of him who have not missed much time in their careers, but it is never a bad option to get as many cornerbacks as you can. With their last pick, they decided to go with safety Jaylen Key, which is one of their more pressing needs for their defense compared to cornerback.
Considering the depth of this defensive roster, they definitely need to address defense early but feel they could have snagged both defensive line depth and safety depth. They did re-sign safety Ashytyn Davis but also lost Bryce Huff in free agency. All in all, it was a solid draft from these Jets.