Coffee with the Jets: The case to not draft an offensive lineman

In this edition of Coffee with the New York Jets, a loyal reader wants to know what was the thought process behind not drafting another offensive lineman.

Leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft, the New York Jets were involved in a plethora of rumors and it was hard to predict what they would ultimately do with the No. 6 overall pick. They had a lot of needs to address from their defensive secondary, wide receiver, and yes, their offensive line.

The Jets, on paper, ended this year’s draft with a lot of good reviews. They didn’t have an excellent draft class but they also didn’t have one that left many questioning their final selections. Now, in case you didn’t know, my Coffee with the Jets series is an interactive one. I ask my loyal readers via Twitter to submit any questions they’d like answered right here on The Jet Press.

Today’s question comes from Orlando around what the Jets didn’t do in this year’s draft. Here is what he asked:

@LTJ81 Why not draft one offensive lineman? I was disappointed they did not.

— Orlando Fontanez (@OFX039) May 18, 2017

Thanks for your question, Orlando! To be honest, no matter what direction the Jets went in when it came to their draft selections, it’s hard to satisfy everyone. Some loved that general manager Mike Maccagnan traded a lot to get more draft picks and others disliked it. Some wanted the Jets to go quarterback with their first few picks and others are happy they didn’t.

When it comes to offensive linemen, this year’s draft class was good, but not great with the positional group. As a matter of fact, this year’s draft was stacked with defensive talent, especially at cornerback and safety. The Jets had their final draft board and by the looks of it, they wanted to bolster their secondary before anything else.

The general consensus is their in-house options across the offensive line will be adequate enough to get the job done this upcoming season. Looking at some of the predicted starters for 2017, the Jets have young, talented depth at each position and believe they’ll be able to deliver consistent results.

Next: Jets should see what Dane Evans can do in training camp

Perhaps the Jets will add upgraded offensive linemen next offseason. Remember, the Jets will have a lot of salary cap money to play with next offseason and another round of draft picks to build towards a brighter future. As of now, their offensive line should be just fine, hence why they didn’t draft any extras for the positional group at this year’s draft.