Jets somehow turn struggling DT into draft pick before cutting him

New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey has been working the phones ahead of this week's roster cut deadline, as the first-year executive just made his third trade in the last five days.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday that the Jets agreed to a deal with the Chiefs to send veteran defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi back to the Chiefs in exchange for a conditional swap of 2027 sixth and seventh-round picks.

The return is virtually nothing, and it remains to be seen what conditions are attached to the trade, but given the fact that Nnadi had a virtually zero percent chance of making the Jets' roster, it's nice to get anything in return for the struggling veteran.

This trade comes just days after the Jets acquired defensive tackles Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs in deals with the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns. The Jets have reshaped their defensive tackle room over the last few days, and Nnadi was clearly not a part of their plans.

Jets turn Derrick Nnadi signing into a potential future draft pick

The Jets signed Nnadi to a one-year, $1.4 million contract this offseason with the hope that he could compete for a role in a thin defensive line rotation. The expectation going into minicamp was that Nnadi was the favorite to be the starting 1-tech alongside Quinnen Williams.

That's because Nnadi brought with him 115 career games of NFL experience and 87 starts over seven years with the Chiefs. Nnadi has spent the majority of his career as Kansas City's starting nose tackle, but it's clear that his best days are probably behind him at this point.

The Florida State product appeared in all three preseason games for the Jets, finishing with an abysmal 47.3 Pro Football Focus grade. He was the second-lowest-graded defensive lineman on the entire roster, ahead of just second-year defensive end Eric Watts.

Nnadi failed to record a single pressure on 38 pass-rush snaps and managed just three run stops, posting a lowly 50.4 PFF run-defense grade. You could make a strong case that he was the worst defensive tackle on the roster this summer.

Nnadi was already considered unlikely to make the 53-man roster before the additions of Phillips and Briggs last week. Their arrivals officially sealed his fate, which makes it impressive that the Jets were able to receive a potential asset for him.

The Derrick Nnadi signing was a bust for the Jets, but Mougey managed to work some magic and flip him for a possible future draft pick. That has to be seen as a win for the organization.

More NY Jets news and analysis: