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Jets’ past failures have them deploying the wrong draft strategy that leads to shocking roster fact
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jets’ past failures have them deploying the wrong draft strategy that leads to shocking roster fact

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Mike Antoniou  |  Last updated 5/1/24

As I watched the NFL draft unfold, I was filled with hope and optimism about the Jets 2024 season. Aaron Rodgers was back. The offense, when healthy, has the ability to be one of the best in the AFC. The defense is stout, and I trust Jeff Ulbrich and Robert Saleh to get the most out of their guys.

Then the Jets took Olu Fashanu with the 11th pick overall. I didn’t love the pick. Not because I don’t think he could be a good player, but because he was a left tackle and only a left tackle, and we already had one of those and a player I thought could back him up in a pinch.

I would have much preferred an offensive weapon, or at least an offensive lineman who could step into multiple spots along the offensive line. I wanted (realistically) Odunze, Bowers, Fuaga or Fautanu. I got Fashanu. And the worst part about it, is why the Jets took him and what it made me realize about the team and how they are built.

Leading up to the draft, the consensus pick for the Jets was Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, who would have been one of the best offensive weapons the Jets had ever had. Bowers was available when the Jets were on the clock at 10 and even after the trade, he was there at 11. But the Jets decided to eat their vegetables and take the safe pick in Fashanu.

Speaking on ESPN radio in New York, Joe Douglas was asked directly about if they considered Brock Bowers in the first round. “Yeah, Brock was certainly in that scenario. Brock was certainly in our consideration. And a player that we felt is a dynamic chess piece, you can move all over the board. We felt like for us, and I think you touched on earlier, ‘Okay, what are the problems that could really sidetrack the team moving forward’. And so, it became really clear like we're gonna get a player in Olu that is highly productive, is our type of guy, plays with our type of mentality: toughness, effort, grit. It just was an opportunity that we couldn't pass up.”

In the end, it sounds like the Jets drafted Fashanu out of fear of things going wrong.  To be fair, Tyron Smith has a long and outstanding injury history which makes it impossible to count on him for a full season.

I’m not saying that Fashanu wasn’t the right choice, but it does feel like you have little to no confidence in your players staying healthy, your depth or your coach’s ability to develop players.

Let’s not forget, Joe Douglas has not ignored offensive line in the draft these past few years. The problem is that they haven’t developed anyone to be better than their draft slot. If they were able to develop Carter Warren or Max Mitchell, then they wouldn’t be desperate to get another offensive lineman.

Fashanu is going to be a backup this year to future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith. You are telling me that you are so worried about your inability to develop a backup lineman that you felt in necessary to get one in the first round? If that’s the case, then you are either choosing the wrong players, or you have the wrong coaches on the staff. Personally, when it comes to Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter, or offensive coaches Todd Downing and Nathaniel Hackett, I think the answer is the later.

Again, I’m not saying Fashanu won’t be a good player, and he may very well man the left side of the Jets offensive line for the next decade plus. He’s not the problem. The problem is why they drafted him.

The 2024 Jets don’t have a single player who starts on their offense that isn’t either a high-priced free agent/trade or a top 45 pick. Let that sink in. Not one player was drafted 44th or later and developed into a starter or didn’t come from another team. Joe Tippmann is the lowest drafted homegrown Jet to start, and he was picked 43rd overall. The defense isn’t much better with all but eight or nine guys being in the same boat depending on what defensive formation you are running.

You can’t field a team of 22 starters on offense and defense with nothing but high-priced free agents and top 50 picks. It’s simply not feasible because you are always paying top dollar for every position. At some point, you need to develop guys into being something more than where they were drafted.

There is a lot of pressure on the 2024 New York Jets to win and win now. With their inability to develop players there could be another drought coming when this run ends and I don’t have much hope for them to avoid it.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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