4 mistakes the NY Jets can’t afford to make again in 2024

1. The NY Jets can't neglect the wide receiver position

While the offensive line is arguably a bigger need for the Jets this offseason, there was some bad luck at play regarding the unit's struggles in 2023. The same can't really be said about the Jets' wide receiver room.

Joe Douglas managed to single-handedly destroy a wide receiver room that wasn't especially terrible going into the offseason. Every move he made at the position proved to be the wrong one.

He gave Allen Lazard a four-year, $44 million contract — more guaranteed money than any wide receiver signed in free agency last offseason. He traded away Elijah Moore and let Braxton Berrios walk, with the hope that Mecole Hardman could help replace them.

Instead of pursuing DeAndre Hopkins, Douglas prioritized Odell Beckham Jr. due in part to Aaron Rodgers' influence. He opted not to address the position at all in the 2023 NFL Draft and didn't even have a first-round grade on any receiver in the class. Yes, that includes rookie standouts like Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, and Jason Smith-Njigba.

Douglas bungled the wide receiver position in every possible way this past offseason, and it simply can't happen again. The Jets can't find themselves in a situation where they're trotting out Randall Cobb and a host of undrafted free agents for meaningful snaps in 2024.

The Jets realistically need to add two instant-impact contributors to their wide receiver room this offseason. Basically, they should just do the exact opposite of everything they did last year.