4 former NY Jets draft picks who won't be on the team in 2024

The NY Jets have had a spotty draft history under the leadership of general manager Joe Douglas. For every Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, there have been a number of key draft misses that have depleted the team's roster.

The Jets' roster is chock full of young, promising talent, many of whom were acquired via the draft. If anything, this Jets team is built on the back of former draft picks like Gardner, Wilson, Breece Hall, Jermaine Johnson, Quinnen Williams, etc.

Still, not every draft pick has worked out. The Jets are expected to run it back with a similar roster and regime in 2024, but there will be some tweaking. Roster turnover should be expected.

Let's take a look at four former Jets draft picks who likely won't be on the roster next season.

4. Max Mitchell, OT, NY Jets

When the Jets drafted Max Mitchell in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the expectation was that he would be little more than a developmental project in his first season. That changed when Mitchell was thrust into the starting lineup early due to injuries.

Mitchell held his own in the role, battling injuries of his own, and returned as a key backup the following season. Unfortunately, Mitchell's 2023 campaign has been a bit of a disaster.

The Louisiana product has struggled mightily in seven starts this season, posting an abysmal 49.3 Pro Football Focus grade that ranks 74th out of 84 qualified offensive tackles. He's allowed six sacks and a whopping 30 pressures in just eight games.

Mitchell is still under contract next season and will likely return to compete for a depth roster spot, but don't be surprised if he's beaten out by Carter Warren, Billy Turner, or whatever other tackle options the Jets bring in this offseason.

3. Bryce Hall, CB, NY Jets

There was a point in time not too long ago when it seemed like the Jets had found a late-round steal and future building block in Bryce Hall. The former Virginia cornerback started 24 of the first 25 games of his career, putting together an impressive 2021 campaign as the team's de facto CB1.

That feels like forever ago at this point, however.

Injury concerns caused Hall to fall to the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, where the Jets selected him. Upon returning from injury, Hall was almost immediately thrust into a starting role.

Hall would start all 17 games for the Jets in 2021, even leading the NFL in pass deflections. He wasn't a true CB1 by any means, but the young cornerback proved to be a starting-caliber player at his position.

Unfortunately for Hall, the Jets signed D.J. Reed and drafted Sauce Gardner the following offseason, relegating him to a backup role. He hasn't received significant playing time since.

Hall has started a pair of games this season following injuries, and he's performed quite well when given the opportunity. That said, he's set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and it seems likely he will receive a more significant opportunity elsewhere.

There may be a team in free agency that looks at Hall's body of work and decides to offer him a chance to start. The Jets aren't going to be that team, and his lack of special teams versatility lessens his value to the organization.

Hall is a quality NFL-caliber cornerback who might feasibly start on a handful of teams, but his time with the Jets is likely coming to an end in the near future.

2. Mekhi Becton, OT, NY Jets

The Jets hoped they had found their long-term solution at left tackle when they used the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to select big Louisville offensive lineman Mekhi Becton.

The results early on were promising. Becton went through his share of rookie growing pains, but the massive young tackle looked every part of a future franchise cornerstone in his first NFL season.

It's been repeated (by me) ad nauseam at this point, but Becton was even ranked as the sixth-best offensive tackle in the entire league by a poll of 50 NFL personnel entering the 2021 season. There were legitimate All-Pro expectations for the former first-round pick.

Unfortunately, Becton's career has taken a nosedive since that point. Consecutive knee injuries kept him sidelined for essentially all of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Rumors about his weight issues and attitude concerns were also prevalent during this time as well.

Still, Becton fought hard to return to the field, getting himself in the best shape of his career this past offseason. It seems to have paid off, as Becton has played all but one game this season. The issue hasn't been availability, however.

Becton's performance in 2023 has been inconsistent, to say the least. He leads all NFL offensive tackles in sacks allowed with 11. He ranks second among tackles with a whopping 13 penalties in 14 games.

Some team will likely be willing to pay Becton good money in free agency, given his age and draft pedigree. The Jets shouldn't and likely won't be that team. A split this offseason is likely in the best interest of both parties.

1. Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

If reports are to be believed, the Jets have already informed Zach Wilson that he will be traded in the offseason. Whether that report is accurate or not, it's not hard to come to that conclusion.

The Zach Wilson era in New York has been an unbridled disaster. The former No. 2 overall pick was hailed as a franchise savior, and the hope was that he would finally end the organization's decades-long search for a long-term quarterback solution.

Instead, Wilson has been worse than them all. Worse than Sam Darnold. Worse than Geno Smith. Worse than Mark Sanchez. Heck, he's statistically been one of the worst quarterbacks in modern NFL history.

Wilson has shown modest signs of improvement this season after being thrust into a starting role again following Aaron Rodgers' injury, but his overall inconsistency hasn't improved.

Sure, his supporting cast this season has been far from ideal. He's better than Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian and has played at a backup-caliber level at points this year. That doesn't mean it's not time to move on, however.

The relationship between Wilson and the Jets has clearly deteriorated — a product of him being benched for the likes of Boyle and Chris Streveler in consecutive seasons. It's hard to come back from that.

Much like with Becton, it's probably in the best interest of both sides to move on this offseason. Some team will be willing to take a chance on Wilson's upside and try to develop him for a year or two.

The Jets, meanwhile, should be focused on saving money and recouping whatever value they can from the trade. Bring back Aaron Rodgers, sign a better, more experienced QB2, and let Wilson find a new home in 2024.