3 options for the NY Jets after missing on Odell Beckham Jr.

3. The NY Jets could do nothing

The final option the Jets have is to simply do nothing. It has been assumed that Corey Davis will not be on the 2023 roster. If they were able to sign Beckham, he most certainly would have been a cap casualty or included in a potential trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Now that Beckham is not coming to New York, that outcome is not a foregone conclusion.

It's also totally reasonable to think the Jets decide that they do not want to give up more draft compensation after surrendering a fair amount to bring in Rodgers.

Would they give up a second and fifth-round pick for Rodgers and then turn around and give up another mid-round pick for Hopkins? Or the other second-rounder for Higgins? I don't think that's the Joe Douglas way. How much of an upgrade are some of those trade targets anyway?

When Davis is healthy, he is an above-average NFL receiver. In six seasons, he has accounted for 273 catches, almost 4,000 yards, and 17 touchdowns. In 22 games with the Jets over the past two seasons, with horrendous quarterback play, he has been able to catch 66 passes for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns.

With Rodgers and better health, he should be more productive. Davis would also be the third option on a team with Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. 50 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns is about what a third option should be giving a team anyway.

Evans, Hopkins, Higgins, and Beckham are obviously better options than Davis, but with Beckham off the table, Higgins and Evans not publicly available for trade, and Hopkins' asking price still very high, I would not be so quick to move on from Davis.

Davis does the small things well. He is a plus blocker on the perimeter. He is strong and physical at the release. He wins one-on-one balls in the red zone. He is a good teammate and wouldn't ask for a trade halfway through the season because he did not get enough targets in one game.

If the Jets do include Davis in a trade package for Rodgers, I think they really look at drafting a receiver. Smith-Njigba at pick 13 makes a lot of sense as he could step in and play a meaningful role immediately.

Hyatt or Johnston also make sense later in the first round as trade-back options. If Davis is still on the roster, though, they absolutely should not draft another receiver to take up space in an already crowded room.

One final thing to mention here that I think needs to be stated — even if Davis is traded, don't sleep on Denzel Mims. Mims, entering his third year, could slide into the role left behind by Davis.

The Jets could then draft an offensive lineman to play right away and allow Mims to flash what he could do in a full-time role for the first time in his young career.

All last offseason, the Jets ranted and raved about his ability and progress. Maybe bringing in Rodgers and giving Mims a full-time role turns his career around and allows them to focus on other positions of need.

Final Thoughts

Whatever direction the Jets go, one thing is certain — Aaron Rodgers must be brought in quickly. I think it impacted their ability to get Beckham and will continue to impact free-agent decisions moving forward. I also don't necessarily believe they need to add anything to their wide receiver room unless they part ways with Corey Davis, which still could happen.

With weapons like Lazard, Wilson, Hardman, C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Conklin, Michael Carter, and Breece Hall already on the team, the Jets certainly have enough talent to win games and score points.

Ultimately, I think the Jets keep Davis on their roster going into the 2023 season.