2019 NFL draft: Jets should trade into 2nd round

Day one of the NFL Draft is complete. The Jets acquired a star player in Quinnen Williams. They failed to acquire a second-round pick via trade, but it’s not too late to make a deal.

The New York Jets failed to find a trade partner on day one, and they will go into day two with no second round pick. Plenty of big names are still available heading into the second round. The Jets have the ammunition to do it, and should aggressively pursue a trade that gets them back into round two.

There are still glaring holes across the roster. Quinnen Williams is a star talent, but didn’t fill a big hole on the Jets’ defense. Moves still have to be made for spots to be filled. They still have holes at cornerback, edge rusher, and the offensive line. They can easily fill at least one of these holes if they move back into round two.

Top Tier Talent Still on the Board

The second round is filled with talented cornerbacks. Names like Byron Murphy, Greedy Williams and Julian Love are still on the board heading into day two, and all three of these corners would compete for a starting role in the Jets’ secondary. Any of these names would be a huge boost for New Jack City.

Arguably the best prospect available at this point is Jawaan Taylor, who has been mocked as high as the top 10 in some scenarios. He fell all the way to round two, and will be an absolute steal for whoever gets their hands on him. He’ll likely go early in round two, but if the Jets can maneuver their way into the top five, they may luck out.

There are several other offensive lineman left who are worthy of trading up for. Cody Ford is still on the board, who can potentially become a long term starter at offensive tackle. Eric McCoy is also still available, which would fill arguably the biggest hole on the roster at center. The Jets need to build a wall for Sam Darnold, and trading up for one of these prospects would be a step in the right direction.

What it Would Take

The Jets don’t have much draft stock. They only have five picks left, which is very low, especially for a rebuilding team. That being said, it’s tough to give up draft picks in a draft where you don’t have many. This is the biggest factor holding the Jets back from making a trade.

However, the Jets have one big asset they can package into a deal for a second round pick. Darron Lee. The Jets have been shopping Lee for awhile, and tomorrow is the perfect time to strike a deal. It’s probably the last shot the Jets have at getting anything valuable out of a trade involving Lee.

Jets were shopping LB Darron Lee tonight in a package deal to try and get into the 2nd round tomorrow. At least 1 NFC team has expressed interest

— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) April 26, 2019

A deal that involves Darron Lee and a mid round pick for a second rounder would be tough to pass on. The Jets need talent badly, and talent is calling their names. It’s up to Mike Maccagnan to be aggressive on day two and strike a deal to put himself back in the second round.