Ranking the NY Jets' three weakest position groups heading into the draft

Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn have been busy this offseason. They've made a lot of quiet signings in free agency and have released several veteran contributors. But they are far from done.

Several holes remain on the roster, which could significantly restrict the Jets' potential in 2025. No one expects the Jets to contend for the Super Bowl, or even the playoffs for that matter. But they shouldn't be a joke. There should be a step-up from last season.

If the Jets don't fill some of these holes, next season could potentially get ugly. And with free agency all but done, the draft is the only route left to improving their weaknesses.

There are three spots that stand out amongst the others so we will rank those three weakest position groups on the Jets' roster, with first being with worst.

3. Offensive Tackle

Assuming Olu Fashanu builds on the promise he showed last season, left tackle should be all set. But the other side comes with major question marks.

As of now, it seems that Chukwuma Okorafor is the only experienced option to play right tackle. But let's not forget that this is a guy who was benched in week one last year on New England, and then left the team to "ponder his future." He would not return to play the rest of the season after being placed on the "exempt/left squad list."

Carter Warren or Max Mitchell could slide into that position, but they've only started in six and 14 games, respectively. There is no telling what they would give you in a full season of work.

The Jets could select Will Campbell out of LSU with the seventh pick if he's available. He's the prized Tackle in this year's draft. They could also target one of the other top options with later picks, such as Missouri's Armand Membou, Ohio State's Josh Simmons, or Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr.

Either way, as it currently stands, this is a big hole that could severely impact Justin Fields and the offense if not filled.

2. Tight End

This is a completely barren position. With Tyler Conklin's departure to the Chargers, there is no reliable receiving tight end left. Jeremy Ruckert would likely be the starter if the season started today. In three seasons with New York, he has started in 15 games and has never surpassed 18 receptions or 155 yards in a season. He isn't enough.

Behind him is Stone Smartt who has posted relatively identical production to Ruckert in his three seasons with the Chargers, Zack Kuntz who has only suited up for two games in his two seasons with the Jets, and Neal Johnson who played five seasons in the Sun Belt for Louisiana but has never played in an NFL game.

If the Jets don't land a solid receiving tight end in the draft, they will likely be forced to platoon Ruckert and Smartt. This takes away a safety net for Fields, which he is likely to need, considering the current state of the receiving corps.

The obvious solution that everyone is proposing is drafting Tyler Warren out of Penn State with the seventh pick. It's no guarantee he falls, and you also don't want to be pigeon-holed into drafting for need. But his generational talent may make it worth it, regardless. He would certainly boost the offense on day one.

1. Wide Receiver

The trend in all of these weaknesses is that they all directly impact Justin Fields. Since the right tackle position isn't settled, and neither is tight end, you would hope he would have a solid receiving corps to rely on.

Unfortunately, aside from superstar Garrett Wilson, everyone else in the receiver room is one big "shoulder shrug."

There are a ton of "what-ifs?" and "who knows?" in this position group. Of course, there is veteran Allen Lazard, who has had an incredibly rocky two years in New York, to say the least.

Outside of him, the Jets signed Tyler Johnson from the Rams and Josh Reynolds from Jacksonville. These were their two big veteran signings on the offense.

Johnson has spent time in Tampa Bay and Houston as well, showing some flashes of talent last season going for almost 300 yards off the bench. He doesn't scream number two or three receiver, though.

Reynolds has been solid for several teams over his eight-year career. He has bounced from the Rams to Tennessee to Detroit to Denver and then was picked up off waivers by the Jaguars last season after the Broncos released him. His lack of production can largely be forgiven. He dealt with a finger injury as well as a horrific shooting last year. He provides a lot of upside if things go well but the key word there is "if."

Aside from Lazard, Johnson, or Reynolds, there is no experience in that room. The list includes Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley, Irvin Charles, and several other names that have never produced in the NFL. And even amongst the list of experienced guys we talked about, none of them should make you feel comfortable as the number two receiver.

Outside of Wilson is a bunch of unknowns. There's a long list of options in the draft the Jets can target with their eight picks. And they may have to. Because the hope right now is that at least one of the three veterans has a solid enough year to be the number two and three receiver but that's a dubious premise.

With the lack of tight-ends and receivers, Fields will need to hope Braelon Allen and Breece Hall can help him out of the backfield. If not, we'll see him using those legs quite a lot when running for his life.