New York Jets: ‘Don’t assume’ team is going OL in 1st round of 2020 NFL Draft

Many people have assumed that the New York Jets will go OL in the 1st round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Here’s why you shouldn’t assume that.

2020 will be general manager Joe Douglas’ first opportunity to put his imprint on the New York Jets.

With this being his first gig as a GM in the NFL, a lot of people are trying to figure out what his philosophies are and what he’ll do with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

As fans have tried to put the pieces together one popular theory has gained some momentum over the last few weeks. With Joe Douglas being a former offensive lineman and at his end of the season presser he stressed the importance of the trenches, because of those things many people have penciled in an offensive lineman to the team in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

On Thursday’s episode of the Flight Deck Podcast, ESPN’s Rich Cimini says not so fast my friend:

“You know everyone assumes the New York Jets are going to take an offensive lineman with the 11th pick but don’t assume that. Joe Douglas is going to pick the best available player, he won’t reach to fill a need.

So if one of those receivers is there, a Jerry Jeudy from Alabama or a CeeDee Lamb from Oklahoma, don’t be shocked if the Jets go in that direction. The team is going to take offensive linemen in this draft, but we are so far out I wouldn’t write it in pen for the first round just yet.”

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— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 24, 2020

While clearly the offensive line is a priority and the team desperately needs an upgrade at several positions, that’s not the only need for the New York Jets.

As we noted earlier this week, there are several quality starting offensive linemen that’ll be available after round one of the 2020 NFL Draft. If Joe Douglas so chooses he could attack that need on Day 2 of the draft (more details here on some of those prospects).

Also on his podcast, Cimini name-dropped three guys the Jets will have an interest in when free agency kicks off in March: Joe Thuney (New England Patriots, IOL), Jack Conklin (Tennessee Titans, OT), and Brandon Scherff (Washington Redskins, IOL).