NY Jets rejected massive trade-down offer to draft Olu Fashanu

Olu Fashanu may not have been the NY Jets' top target in the 2024 NFL Draft — as evidenced by the team's efforts to trade up for wide receiver Rome Odunze — but you'd better believe he was highly ranked on their draft board.

The Jets ended up trading down one spot with the Minnesota Vikings to select Fashanu with the 11th overall pick in this year's draft. As it turns out, they received a very enticing offer to move down eight spots with the Los Angeles Rams.

The offer, revealed via a clip posted to the NFL's social media accounts on Friday, included the Rams sending the 19th overall pick, the 52nd overall pick, and the 99th overall pick to the Jets for pick No. 11 and pick No. 185.

Reports suggest the Rams were desperately trying to trade up to draft Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, but despite Los Angeles offering the Jets their first, second, and third-round picks, general manager Joe Douglas wouldn't budge.

The NY Jets passed up a golden opportunity to draft Olu Fashanu

The same video clip previously showed the Rams offering their second-round pick to the Jets to move up from pick No. 19 to pick No. 10 before New York exchanged picks with the Minnesota Vikings.

That rejection was likely an easy decision on the part of Douglas and the Jets, but the Rams' second offer probably made them hesitate. After all, that trade would've been a win from a pure value perspective according to most draft trade charts.

The Jets, however, weren't interested. If they did move down to the 19th overall pick, it's almost a guarantee that they would not have been able to select Fashanu. The team might've been forced to pivot to a player like Washington's Troy Fautanu or even target a different position.

The Jets weighed their options, saw the value in the trade, and still decided to stay put and select Fashanu. That shows just how much they valued the former Penn State star.

Fashanu has been receiving rave reviews for the progress he's already made this spring. The Jets have played him exclusively at left tackle in practice, which is where the team hopes he spends the next decade playing for the organization.

Fashanu won't be asked to start immediately, as he'll have the opportunity to sit and learn behind future Hall of Fame left tackle Tyron Smith. But given Smith's age and injury history, it's likely Fashanu will find his way onto the field at some point.

The Jets have high expectations for a player they hope will be their left tackle of the future. Fashanu was simply too good for the Jets to pass up.