5 wide receivers the NY Jets can add after the Elijah Moore trade

The NY Jets shook up their wide receiver room in a big way on Wednesday, signing Mecole Hardman before trading Elijah Moore to the Cleveland Browns in a swap of Day 3 draft picks.

The Hardman signing is a welcome addition to the Jets' receiving corps, and the speedy former Kansas City Chiefs wideout is an ideal upgrade and replacement for Braxton Berrios.

The loss of Moore, however, leaves the Jets with a bit of a hole at the position. A trio of Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Hardman isn't good enough for the Jets in 2023 — they will likely look to make another addition this offseason.

Who can the Jets sign, draft, or trade for to help replace Moore? Let's take a look at a few likely options.

5. The NY Jets can trade for Jerry Jeudy

The Denver Broncos are reportedly shopping their wide receivers this offseason, and the most prominent name that could be on the move is former first-round pick Jerry Jeudy.

Jeudy has been a popular trade candidate this offseason, and with good reason. The former Alabama star is coming off a career year in 2022 in which he finished with 67 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games, despite receiving some pretty lackluster quarterback play.

At just 23 years old (he turns 24 next month), Jeudy is one of the league's better young wide receivers. The issue might come with the Broncos' reported asking price of at least a first-round pick.

That feels a bit steep for the Jets, given the fact that they're already going to lose draft capital in the Aaron Rodgers trade. If the Jets aren't willing to give up pick 13 for Rodgers, I don't think they would for Jeudy.

That said, he's a young star wide receiver who is an active name in the trade market, so he deserves to be mentioned.

4. The NY Jets can sign Randall Cobb

Randall Cobb has been an obvious target for the Jets since the Aaron Rodgers trade became a legitimate possibility. The longtime Packers wide receiver has spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons catching passes from Rodgers.

Cobb isn't the dynamic slot receiver he once was in his prime. We won't be seeing a repeat of Cobb's near-1,300-yard, 12-touchdown 2014 season anytime soon. Still, he's settled into a nice role as a dependable depth receiver in recent years.

A Cobb signing made a lot more sense before the Jets added Hardman on Wednesday. Unless the Jets view Hardman as Moore's replacement, signing Cobb doesn't seem as likely anymore.

The 32-year-old hasn't topped 500 yards in a season since 2019 and hasn't played a full season's worth of games since 2015. Cobb is best fit as a veteran depth receiver who can double as a return man.

The Jets don't really need that now with Hardman on the roster. He should be Berrios' replacement, both as a backup slot receiver and return specialist.

Still, if the Jets see Hardman as their new Elijah Moore, I could see Cobb reuniting with Rodgers in New York to be the team's new WR4 or WR5. That's why he still belongs on this list.

The Jets shouldn't sign Cobb with the goal of him playing any sort of meaningful role in 2023. As a depth receiver, he's fine. As anything more, the Jets would be making a mistake.

3. The NY Jets can draft a wide receiver

The Hardman signing, coupled with the Moore trade, opens the door for the Jets to potentially consider drafting a wide receiver early in the 2023 NFL Draft, perhaps as early as the first round.

Most, to this point, have assumed that the Jets would use the No. 13 pick on an offensive tackle, but that might not necessarily be the case. The Jets have a few notable roster holes they still need to fill.

Even aside from offensive tackle and wide receiver, the Jets could look to add a defensive tackle or safety early in the draft. The position value might not be there, but the need certainly is.

I wouldn't be surprised at all, however, if the Jets plan to replace Moore with a top-50 pick in this year's draft. The assumption is that one of the team's two second-round picks will be sent to Green Bay in the Rodgers trade, but the Jets should still have both a first and second-round pick to utilize.

Perhaps the Jets consider a player like Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, TCU's Quentin Johnston, or USC's Jordan Addison in the first round. Maybe someone like Boston College's Zay Flowers, Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt, or North Carolina's Josh Downs could be a target in the second round.

This year's wide receiver class doesn't have the top-end talent that recent classes have had, but there should be plenty of depth on Day 2. It's not the most talented wide receiver class, but it is a deep class.

The Jets could pair Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Mecole Hardman with a rookie wide receiver to complete their wide receiver quartet. Don't rule out the Jets drafting a wide receiver early, especially if they don't add a veteran beforehand.

2. The NY Jets can trade for DeAndre Hopkins

This would be the most high-profile addition the Jets could make. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is reportedly on the trade market, and the Jets should absolutely be calling to check on his availability.

The Cardinals have reportedly been seeking a second-round pick and more for Hopkins, but the latest indication is that's not going to happen. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer suggests that a Hopkins trade could look similar to the Brandin Cooks deal from earlier in the week.

The Dallas Cowboys traded a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for the disgruntled Cooks. If that's all it takes to land Hopkins, the Jets should be all over his market.

There are red flags with Hopkins. The 31-year-old wide receiver has missed 15 games over the last two seasons due to both injury and suspension. He also comes with an expensive cap hit over the next two seasons.

That cap hit, however, can be manipulated. The Jets, or any team that trades for him, could agree to a restructure to significantly lower his cap hit in 2023.

One possible scenario proposed by Spotrac would feature a full cap conversion and the addition of three void years that would lower Hopkins' 2023 cap hit from $19.45 million to just $4.8 million.

There are ways to make a Hopkins trade work for the Jets from a cap perspective — it would just require a little financial flexibility. A wide receiver duo of Hopkins and Garrett Wilson would rival some of the best duos the NFL has seen in years.

1. The NY Jets can sign Odell Beckham Jr.

This is easily the most probable scenario on this list. Aaron Rodgers has made it pretty clear that he wants Odell Beckham Jr. in New York. Beckham hasn't exactly been shy about his interest in the Jets, either.

The Athletic's Connor Hughes reported on Wednesday that there is mutual interest between the two sides. At this stage, Hughes suggests that the only holdup is "finding a number that works" for both sides.

Hughes later responded to a tweet that said a Rodgers/Beckham duo was coming soon for the Jets, stating, "I would be surprised if it wasn't." The smoke surrounding Beckham and the Jets has reached its highest levels of the offseason.

Much like with Hopkins, there are, of course, red flags with Beckham. The former All-Pro wide receiver hasn't played since tearing his ACL for the second time in Super Bowl LVI over a year ago. By the time he steps on the field in September, it will have been nearly 20 months since his last appearance.

He also hasn't recorded over 1,000 yards in a season since his last year with the Browns in 2019. It's hard to say exactly what the Jets can expect from Beckham, even if healthy, in 2023.

Still, the upside is obvious. This is a former three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who, at his peak, was one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the NFL. That talent is still there — it's just a matter of if his body can hold up.

The Jets clearly want Beckham. Beckham certainly seems to want the Jets. The Elijah Moore trade makes this move feel almost inevitable.