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

As reported on Sunday, Odell Beckham Jr. will be taking his talents elsewhere to play during the 2023 season. The talented wide receiver was heavily rumored to be interested in playing for the NY Jets, and the feeling was seemingly mutual.

In fact, a meeting was scheduled for less than 24 hours after the signing was announced for him to come to meet the staff, general manager, and owner.

It's hard to blame the Jets for not signing Beckham to a deal. His contract with the Ravens is worth $15 million in guaranteed money with a maximum of $18 million with incentives.

The Jets simply do not have that amount of money to dish out to a player who has had two ACL surgeries in the last few years and has not topped 1,000 yards in four seasons. He gave the Jets an opportunity to match the offer, but thankfully the Jets passed.

However, by passing on Beckham and his outlandish contract, they are possibly still in the market for another starting wide receiver. What exactly can the Jets do? Let's take a look at three legitimate options still on the table.

1. The NY Jets could trade for a big name

Beckham was not the only big name available on the open market. The reason the Jets were so tied to Beckham, though, was that he was the biggest free-agent prize to be had.

They did not have to give up draft picks, players, or additional compensation to get him — just the contract. With these other names, the Jets would be giving out additional draft picks to bring them into the building.

One name that I have written about at length before is DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals. He is a far more consistent and far healthier player than Beckham and also fits the offense more seamlessly.

Whereas Beckham best operates as a No. 1 option working out of various alignments, which Garrett Wilson already does, Hopkins is a true outside target. He is a master of the red zone and sideline and provides the Jets with someone who can consistently win physical matchups.

Originally, the price Arizona set was far too high. Demanding at least a first-round pick, none of the other 31 organizations took the bait. Hopkins is due a big salary and comes with a big cap hit, plus the first-round pick was not something teams were fighting to get in on.

Now that his price has dropped to a Day 2 pick (if not lower), could the Jets be interested? If they could talk the Cardinals down further, to say, a fourth-round pick or multiple late-round selections, I think this could make a lot of sense.

Other names to keep an eye on include Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy of the Denver Broncos, Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if they decide to truly go all in, Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jeudy and Sutton would come with the lowest cap hits and trade compensation required, but Higgins and Evans offer true No. 2 options. Again, for a few late-round picks, say a fifth and a sixth-rounder, those names could make sense.

2. The NY Jets could draft a wide receiver

Another route the Jets can go is through the 2023 NFL Draft. There are some very intriguing options at the top of the draft board, or possibly on Day 2. If the Jets hold on to pick 13, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the name to watch.

If they decide to trade down, as many mock drafts have projected, then Quentin Johnston of TCU or Jalin Hyatt of Tennessee should be available as well. Other Round 2 options include Zay Flowers, Josh Downs, or Marvin Mims Jr.

Of course, the big name here is Jaxon Smith-Njigba out of Ohio State. Pairing him with his former teammate and close friend, Garrett Wilson, would solidify the receiver position for the next decade and offer the Jets a nice balance between veterans and young talent.

At 6-foot-1 and almost 200 pounds, Smith-Njigba could line up anywhere and win at the release, although he is best in the slot. Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Smith-Njigba would form a really nice group and one that could really develop even in the post-Rodgers years.

You could certainly argue that either the defensive line or offensive line is a bigger position of need over wide receiver at the moment, but if the big offensive lineman names are already off the board and Smith-Njigba is still there, what would the Jets do at pick 13?

Even a trade-down could net them a really good player like Hyatt, who can stretch the field on the outside and provide more of an immediate impact than reaching for a lineman in the middle of the round.

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.