How would Kyler Murray going No. 1 overall affect the Jets?

The New York Jets will be at the mercy of the draft board in the 2019 NFL Draft. Here’s how things could shake up for the team if Kyler Murray was drafted No. 1 overall.

The New York Jets will have an abundance of options to explore as they trudge towards the 2019 NFL Draft. While there are undoubtedly a ton of different directions they could take, much of their decision making will come as a result of what happens with the two picks before them.

There are essentially unlimited possible scenarios that could take place come draft day, but one scenario, in particular, stands out as one of the most intriguing to watch in the coming months.

That being, what happens if the Arizona Cardinals select quarterback Kyler Murray first overall?

Now, the Cardinals did select Josh Rosen 10th overall in last year’s draft and although the rookie struggled in his first NFL season, the situation around him was arguably the worst for any first-year signal-caller in the league. Arizona’s offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL and they experienced coaching turnover midway through the season when they replaced their offensive coordinator.

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Rosen could still very well have a bright future ahead of him which bears the question. Would the Cardinals really give up on Rosen so quickly?

Rumors have swirled ever since Arizona hired new head coach Kliff Kingsbury that the Cardinals would consider Murray with their first pick and after he officially committed to play football full-time, the rumors only intensified.

While it may just be smoke for now, in this situation, where there’s smoke there’s fire.

With the option firmly on the table, the Cardinals will have a major decision to make in the coming months that would shake up the entire draft. Specifically, this would significantly affect the Jets approach come late April.

For starters, the pick would leave projected No. 1 pick Nick Bosa still on the board. Although it’s still likely the San Francisco 49ers would take him with their second pick, this would give the Jets an off-chance of landing the uber-talented pass rusher.

The 49ers could still field trade offers and if some team gets desperate for a quarterback with Murray already off the board, there’s a slight chance San Francisco could land a major haul for the No. 2 overall pick. Of course, this scenario is unlikely, but crazier things have happened on draft day.

A more likely scenario would see the 49ers taking Bosa leaving the Jets in quite the interesting situation. They would have the opportunity to select one of the top players in the draft in defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. Or they could opt to draft talented edge rusher Josh Allen who isn’t as refined of a prospect as Williams, but offers tremendous upside and fills a position of need.

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Perhaps more appealing would be that the Jets would now be the top destination for potential trade partners. With Murray off the board, the attention would shift to Dwayne Haskins as the next best available quarterback. There would be a large number of teams all vying for his services making a trade up very likely.

Teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants would likely be approaching the Jets to see what kind of trade package they would be looking for. After all, the Oakland Raiders pick fourth overall and while they’re preached commitment to quarterback Derek Carr, there’s no guarantee they stick with him long-term.

Either way, quarterback-needy teams would be insistent on being proactive in trying to move up before their opponents do meaning that the Jets could receive quite the trade package for their pick.

Murray being drafted No. 1 overall would have a ripple effect on every team needing a quarterback as the list of top-tier options remaining would shrink to just one. Most teams have Missouri’s Drew Lock and Duke’s Daniel Jones a major step below both Murray and Haskins making the market slim at the top.

All of this would work in the Jets favor if Murray were drafted early. Either they’d be guaranteed to end up with a premier defensive player or they’d receive a massive trade package and move down in the draft.

Next. New York Jets Mount Rushmore: 2019 Player Edition

While it may seem unlikely at the moment, just remember, Baker Mayfield was drafted first overall last year.

Anything can happen.

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