NY Jets trade for Aaron Rodgers in 7-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft

The NY Jets are going to add a quarterback this offseason. Whether that player is Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, or another QB, it's going to happen.

Carr and Garoppolo won't require the Jets to surrender draft capital as both are set to be free agents, but the same can't be said for Rodgers. If the Jets are to acquire Rodgers, they'll have to send some draft picks to the Green Bay Packers.

That means an Aaron Rodgers trade would impact the direction the Jets take in the 2023 NFL Draft. Not only would it solidify the quarterback position, but it would also very likely remove some 2023 draft capital from their plans.

We factored a Rodgers trade into our latest seven-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft with help from Pro Football Network's mock simulator, but what exactly are the parameters of the trade we're working with?

The NY Jets trade for Aaron Rodgers

We released an article a few weeks back detailing three potential trade packages for Rodgers. The baseline proposal we worked with for that story was roughly the package listed above.

The Jets part ways with a 2023 second-round pick and a conditional future first-round pick. Those conditions could be tied to roster status, individual achievements, or even team achievements. Either way, it has to be a conditional pick for this deal to make sense.

That means the Jets will have one less draft pick to use in this year's event, giving the team just five total selections. It's a fair price to pay to land a quarterback of Rodgers' caliber.

With the quarterback position now settled, how did the Jets approach the rest of their draft? Let's take a look at the results that we came up with.

Round 1, 13th Overall, NY Jets: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

Peter Skoronski is already one of the most contentious prospects in this year's draft. Some see the Northwestern standout as a long-term starting left tackle in the NFL with All-Pro upside. Others see him as more of an interior lineman with a limited physical ceiling.

The concerns about Skoronski's lack of length are valid to a degree, and he isn't nearly the athlete that Broderick Jones, or even Paris Johnson Jr., is. Still, I'm willing to bet on him being a successful NFL pro.

Skoronski took over for future NFL star Rashawn Slater at left tackle following his departure from Northwestern. In three years, Skoronski earned two first-team All-Big Ten selections, a Unanimous All-American selection in 2022, and was named the Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year.

He's as technically sound as any offensive lineman in this draft class with a high level of football IQ to boot. Skoronski should immediately be able to step in as a day-one starter for any NFL team.

The question remains, where do you play him? Do the Jets see him as someone who can be their long-term left tackle of the future? Do they see him as a better fit at guard in the pros? That much remains unclear.

Flashback to the 2020 NFL Draft and the Jets faced a very similar situation with Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs. The Jets chose Becton over the future All-Pro tackle because there were concerns about Wirfs' length and his ability to play left tackle.

General manager Joe Douglas opted for size, athleticism, and upside over fundamentals, technique, and floor. Maybe this year he opts for the opposite approach.

Round 3, 74th Overall, NY Jets: Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

Keeanu Benton is quickly becoming one of my favorite Jets targets in this draft. The four-year standout at Wisconsin is exactly the type of run-stuffing interior lineman the Jets need on their defense.

At 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, Benton blends raw power and strength with excellent length that makes him arguably the best run-stuffer in this class. He played a lot of nose tackle at Wisconsin, but he's versatile enough to play anywhere from over center to a 3-tech role.

Benton earned All-Big Ten honors twice at Wisconsin and, in many ways, was the heart of his team's defense. He uses his wrestling background to gain leverage on opposing linemen despite his tall frame.

While Benton isn't the most explosive pass rusher at this stage, he has continued to improve that area of his game every year. Pro Football Focus listed Benton as finishing with 6.0 sacks and 11 QB hits this past season, which were both new career highs.

He has enough athleticism as well to make me believe he could continue to improve his impact on passing downs. Right now, he's already a plus-starter on early downs with the ability to develop into more of a three-down player in a couple of years.

That's really what the Jets are missing on their defensive line. The Jets struggled to defend the run last season, especially when Quinnen Williams was off the field. Benton would be a massive upgrade over the likes of Sheldon Rankins, Solomon Thomas, and Nathan Shepherd in that respect.

And with Rankins, Thomas, and Shepherd all set to hit free agency, defensive tackle is an underrated need for the Jets this offseason.

Think of Benton as the Jets' replacement for Foley Fatukasi, only a year too late.

Round 4, 112th Overall, NY Jets: Jay Ward, S, LSU

Aside from quarterback, perhaps the position needs to be addressed more this offseason for the Jets than safety. Lamarcus Joyner was a disaster in 2022 while Jordan Whitehead had his fair share of gaffes as well.

I expect this to be a position the Jets prioritize in free agency, which is why I don't have them selecting a safety until the fourth round. Keep an eye on players like Jordan Poyer and Jimmie Ward in free agency.

Still, I'd like to see the Jets draft a developmental safety in the middle rounds, even if they do sign someone like Poyer or Ward. LSU's Jay Ward makes a ton of sense to me.

Ward is a former cornerback who developed into one of the leaders of LSU's defense. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Ward was a versatile chess piece in LSU's defense, playing everywhere from single-high safety to box safety to nickel cornerback to outside cornerback.

That versatility combined with his leadership skills should have the Jets very interested. His best fit feels like a natural free safety in a Cover 2-heavy defense, which coincides with what the Jets are looking for,

Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich shifted away from their Cover 3-heavy approach as the season went on, and it seems to have had a positive impact on the defense. Ward can be someone the Jets develop as a potential free safety of the future.

His role early in his career would be as a versatile backup defensive back who also doubles as a core special-teamer, but I see a starting role in Ward's future. I like him as an early Day 3 target for the Jets.

Round 5, 145 Overall, NY Jets: Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan

Wide receiver might not seem like the biggest need for the Jets on paper, but that could change in a hurry. The Jets are expected to cut veteran wideout Corey Davis, and Braxton Berrios could be next.

Both Davis and Berrios make sense as potential cap casualties for the Jets, leaving the team with a trio of Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, and Denzel Mims. It's safe to say that the Jets are likely to add a wide receiver this offseason.

That could come in free agency with players like Allen Lazard and JuJu Smith-Schuster having been connected to the Jets in rumors. Or the team could look to target a wide receiver in the draft.

One Day 3 prospect who stands out to me is Michigan's Ronnie Bell. Bell was Michigan's leading receiver in three seasons with the Wolverines, and it could have been four had he not had his 2021 season ended after one game due to a knee injury.

At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Bell is a well-rounded route-runner who possesses the speed and athleticism to make plays after the catch often. We saw that out of Bell a lot more often prior to 2021, however.

Bell's 2022 tape isn't littered with as many explosive plays, and it seems as though he was still recovering from his knee injury the prior year. If he can return to the dynamic playmaker he was prior to that injury, Bell could be an early contributor in the NFL.

Bell's frame isn't large and he struggles to make contested catches. His catch radius isn't exactly very large and he's much more of a run-and-catch receiver. That said, he is a willing blocker who provides value in the running game.

The Jets could target Bell on Day 3 with the hope that he can be an early WR3 or WR4 in their offense. His speed and crafty route-running make him an excellent fit in their West Coast offense.

Round 6, 185th Overall, NY Jets: Jake Andrews, OG/C, Troy

I'm operating under the assumption that the Jets see Peter Skoronski as a left tackle and that they addressed the center position in free agency. Whether that means bringing back Connor McGovern or signing someone else, the Jets aren't finding their Week 1 starting center in the sixth round.

That doesn't mean they shouldn't still look to add depth, though. Troy's Jake Andrews is exactly the kind of versatile interior offensive line depth the Jets could look to target at this stage of the draft.

A three-year starter at Troy, Andrews has experience playing all three interior offensive line spots, although I believe his best fit is as a guard in the NFL.

At 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, Andrews would be one of the larger centers in the league, and he doesn't have the athleticism you want out of starting center. At guard, Andrews can use his size and technical ability to his advantage.

Andrews is probably a better run blocker than a pass blocker at this stage, and he might struggle with more athletic linemen in the NFL. Still, he's an experienced lineman with versatility and a higher floor than most players on Day 3.

I'm convinced that Andrews is an NFL-caliber player who will probably start his fair share of games as a pro. His upside is limited by his lackluster power and athleticism, but from a technical standpoint, he's pretty NFL-ready.

Andrews can step in as a valuable depth offensive lineman with fringe-starter upside. That's good value in the sixth round, especially at a position of need.