3 players NY Jets could trade during NFL Draft season

The NY Jets have been active in the trade market this offseason, acquiring a pair of new starters in separate trades over the last month. They might not be finished making moves, either.

The Jets swapped Day 3 picks with the Baltimore Ravens last month to acquire new starting right tackle Morgan Moses. A few weeks later, the team traded a conditional 2026 Day 2 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to land star pass rusher Haason Reddick.

Moses and Reddick might not be the only players involved in Jets trades this offseason. The team could also continue to explore the trade market as it pertains to their own players.

There is at least one more trade the Jets are likely to make this offseason, and it doesn't take an NFL insider to know which player we're referring to. But are there others who could be dealt as well?

Let's take a look at three Jets players who could be traded before, during, or after the 2024 NFL Draft.

3. John Franklin-Myers, DL, NY Jets

The addition of Haason Reddick has further crowded an already stacked Jets defensive line, even with the departure of Bryce Huff. John Franklin-Myers' name was floated around as a potential cut candidate following the Reddick trade.

The 28-year-old is set to carry a cap hit of over $16 million in 2024, the third-highest figure on the Jets' roster. While the team could consider a restructure or an outright release, another option would be to explore his trade value.

Franklin-Myers is one of the most underrated players on the Jets' roster, but trading him would save the team over $7 million in 2024 cap and over $10 million in 2024 cap. Trading him after June 1 would net the team nearly $14 million in 2024 cap space.

Of course, replacing him is no easy task, and although Reddick strengthens the Jets' front seven, the team doesn't really have anyone to fill Franklin-Myers' role if he leaves. The safe bet is to assume he stays, but trading him is an option the Jets could consider if need be.

2. Allen Lazard, WR, NY Jets

The Jets would probably love to wash their hands and rid themselves of the disastrous Allen Lazard contract. The former Green Bay Packers wideout is entering the second year of a four-year, $44 million contract he signed last offseason, and there's no easy way to get out of the deal until next year.

That is, of course, unless the Jets can find a trade partner. Rumors that Lazard was being shopped emerged last month, and it's not hard to buy into those rumors. The Jets would likely jump at any opportunity to get the Lazard contract off their books.

Lazard finished with just 23 catches for 311 yards last season and was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions. He's currently penciled in as the team's WR3, but that could very well change after the draft.

If the Jets can find a team willing to take on some of Lazard's salary at any point this spring or summer, they'll likely take that deal. Unfortunately, they're probably stuck with him for another year.

1. Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

This is the obvious one. Zach Wilson will not be on the Jets' roster in 2024. The widespread assumption has been that the team will find a way to trade him at some point, but the option to release him is still viable even if team owner Woody Johnson publicly said otherwise.

The Jets will do everything in their power to find a taker for Wilson. They'll eat even more of his salary if need be. They'll include a future draft pick just to get his contract off the books.

Wilson's $11.18 million cap hit ranks seventh among all players on the Jets' roster entering the 2024 season — not ideal for a player projected to be your third-string quarterback.

It's easy to envision a scenario in which the Jets package Wilson in a draft-day trade on Day 3. The team could also further explore his trade market after the draft once NFL rosters are a bit more settled.

Either way, Zach Wilson should be traded in the coming weeks. It's only a matter of time.