NY Jets’ pre-draft meetings may have already revealed their Round 1 target

The New York Jets have several positions they’ll be looking to address heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. With multiple roster holes and a wide range of potential options in Round 1, the Jets have the flexibility to go in a number of different directions.

One player who has been frequently connected to the Jets in mock drafts over the last few months is Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. The Jets' supposed interest in Warren has been no secret, with one recent report even suggesting that the team is "infatuated" with the Penn State standout.

The Jets are understandably doing their homework on Warren during the pre-draft process, but he’s not the only prospect on their radar. The team has also done extensive scouting on a few offensive tackle prospects in this year’s draft class.

NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported on Monday that the Jets hosted Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery on a top-30 visit. The team also reportedly had a formal meeting with Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. earlier in the month.

Both Ersery and Conerly are projected late Round 1 to early Round 2 prospects in this year’s draft. It might not be a coincidence that the Jets are putting in significant work on potential Day 2 offensive tackle options.

NY Jets could be eyeing Tyler Warren after recent pre-draft meetings

The Jets currently have holes at both right tackle and tight end. The team signed veteran Chukwuma Okorafor in free agency, and he's technically penciled in as the starting right tackle at the moment.

Okorafor was a quality starting right tackle for a few years in Pittsburgh, but his stock has fallen tremendously over the last two years. He's been benched in consecutive seasons and played just 12 snaps last season before essentially quitting and leaving his team.

The Jets also signed former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Stone Smartt in free agency. Smartt joins an underwhelming tight end room that also features the likes of Jeremy Ruckert, Zack Kuntz, and Neal Johnson. The Jets clearly need an upgrade in that room.

If the Jets feel confident they can land a starting-caliber tackle on Day 2, that could free them up to use their first-round pick on a different position entirely — one that might not be considered a premium value at No. 7 overall. Warren might supersede conventional position value, though.

Of course, no NFL team wants to pigeonhole itself heading into the draft, and the Jets are no exception — they’ll keep their options open. But every team has a preferred path, a Plan A they hope the board allows them to follow. Based on their pre-draft activity, this just might be the Jets’ ideal scenario taking shape.

Pairing Warren with a Day 2 offensive tackle prospect like Ersery or Conerly could be an ideal way for the Jets to address both positions. While this year’s draft is considered deep at tight end, if the Jets have that strong of a conviction about Warren, they may not want to risk missing out on him at No. 7 overall.

If the Jets believe Warren could be a cornerstone piece in their offense, positional value may take a backseat. Their draft strategy could already be falling into place, and all signs are starting to point in one direction.

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