NY Jets’ answer at RT may be sitting in free agency (and it's not who you think)

The New York Jets have four of their five offensive line starters set for the 2025 season, putting the unit in its best shape in years. However, one glaring weakness remains: right tackle.

Last year's starting right tackle Morgan Moses left in free agency to sign a three-year deal with the New England Patriots, leaving the Jets with few current answers. The team did sign veteran Chukwuma Okorafor in free agency, but it wouldn't be wise to count on him as a legitimate starting option in 2025.

The Jets' internal candidates don't inspire much confidence, either. The likes of Max Mitchell and Carter Warren are little more than fringe roster players and should not be factored into the team's offensive line plans.

Some have suggested that the Jets could target a player like Jedrick Wills in free agency to fix their right tackle issue, but there's a more appealing name available on the open market: Kendall Lamm.

The NY Jets should target Kendall Lamm in free agency

A 10-year NFL veteran, Lamm has spent the majority of his career as a backup swing tackle, most recently starting 15 games over the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He has experience playing both left and right tackle and has proven to be a reliable starting option when given the chance.

Lamm registered a stellar 83.1 Pro Football Focus pass-block grade in 2024 which ranked 10th among 67 qualified offensive tackles. He didn't allow a single sack and was only tagged for surrendering one QB hit all season.

This wasn’t an outlier for Lamm either. His 67.1 PFF pass-block grade in 2023 was above average for the position, and while he played just one game in 2022, he posted an elite 87.1 pass-block grade in that appearance.

Lamm turns 33 years old in June, meaning that he wouldn't be a long-term solution. But he would undoubtedly offer better depth and a more reliable starting option than Okorafor, Mitchell, and Warren.

The concern with Lamm is that he’s recovering from back surgery, which prematurely ended his 2024 season. The Jets and other teams may be waiting to evaluate his rehab progress before considering a visit.

Lamm also expressed interest in retiring prior to the 2024 season, so it's possible he's already played his final NFL game. There's no doubt he can still play at a high level, though, if healthy.

As for Wills, the interest makes sense. The former Alabama standout was the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and was once touted as one of the best young offensive tackles in the NFL. It's been a while since we've seen him play at a high level, however.

Wills has started just 12 games over the last two seasons as a result of multiple injuries. He's allowed six sacks and a whopping 40 pressures in those 12 games. Wills also has zero experience playing right tackle at the NFL level.

The allure of upside is present with Wills, but if the Jets are still in the market to add a veteran right tackle ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, Lamm should be their top choice. The Jets can ill afford to enter the draft with Okorafor as their projected starting tight tackle.

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