The New York Jets are nowhere near being a contender next season as itās best to trade down in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Last season, the New York Jets were a complete and utter disaster. They ended the season 5-11 and earned themselves the No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Itās a top-ten pick that has a plethora of options the Jets can go in between now and the yearly event.
Do they go into this yearās draft with theĀ best player available mentality? Should they get a top defensive back? Maybe go after a premier receiving threat to bolster their offense? In the grand scheme of things, it would be in the best interest of the Jets to trade down.
In an article written by Rich Cimini of ESPN, hereās what general manager Mike Maccagnan had to say about the No. 6 overall pick thatās in his pocket:
āWeāre open for business in every round,ā Maccagnan told reporters Friday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. āIf somebody wants to move up in any round and we have a pick in that round, call us up.ā
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Needless to say, even Macaggnan knows that there will be plenty of teams interested in trading up to find an impact player to address their own needs. The Jets are nowhere near being a contending team come next season as theyāre in full rebuild mode. Expect another tough, losing season for Gang Green in 2017 which is a big reason why they should trade down in this yearās draft.
The Jets could acquire additional draft picks and/or players to help address some pretty major needs across the team. They need to bolster their offensive line, defensive secondary, add some more pass rush, and honestly, it wouldnāt hurt to add some more playmakers on offense. Now, if the Jets were just a player or two away from competing for a Super Bowl championship, thatās a totally different story.
The truth of the matter is, theyāre not. Theyāre essentially blowing everything up this offseason to get ready for 2018 and beyond as it takes time and patience to field a formidable team. To make that happen, the Jets need young players and as many draft picks as possible to improve the overall roster.
Next: Making the case to have a real QB competition on the Jets
Overall, the Jets shouldnāt use that No. 6 pick since they could get so much more in return by trading down. They arenāt going to magically win the AFC East division next season and are years away from doing anything worth mentioning. At least with more draft picks and/or players that could be developed over time, theyāre setting themselves up for a brighter future.
