Dexter Lawrence trade puts another wide receiver roadblock in front of Jets

After a messy contract situation turned for the worse, the New York Giants traded star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night, cutting ties with one of their best players.

The Giants got a really good return for their Pro Bowler, getting the 10th overall pick from Cincinnati. Big Blue now holds picks No. 5 and No. 10 heading into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

That's great for the Giants and all, but not so much for their crosstown rivals, the New York Jets. There were already enough teams with needs at wide receiver ahead of the Jets at No. 16, and now there's one more.

The Jets were likely keeping their fingers crossed that one of the draft's big three receivers would fall to their second first-round pick, but it's starting to seem like Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon may all be off the board.

Giants in position to snag a WR before the Jets pick at No. 16

There's been a lot of rumblings about the Giants having high interest in Tyson, the Arizona State standout. ESPN's Peter Schrager said he would not be shocked if New York took him at No. 5 before the Lawrence trade even happened.

Tate is expected to be the first wide receiver off the board. The Cleveland Browns certainly have a need, and so do the New Orleans Saints at picks No. 6 and No. 8, respectively.

The Giants could be looking to scoop up Tyson at No. 10, which would allow the Miami Dolphins or Los Angeles Rams to snag Lemon at No. 11 or No. 13.

Miami needs weapons after getting rid of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle this offseason, and Los Angeles has been rumored to be looking for a younger face to pair up with Puka Nacua.

So where does that leave the Jets? Well, it's not like there won't be any wide receivers to choose from at No. 16. Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. and Washington's Denzel Boston could be options, but both players feel like a bit of a reach that high.

An early run on wide receivers could force the Jets to pivot off the position entirely, making them wait until the second round to address one of their biggest needs.

Alternatively, the Jets could get aggressive and look to make a trade up into the top 10 to try to jump some of the other wide receiver-needy teams.

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