A recent rumor suggests that when it comes to their pick in Round 1 of the NFL Draft, the New York Jets are hoping a desperate team looking for a stud quarterback is willing to make them a trade offer they can’t refuse.
In the 2024 NFL Draft order the New York Jets will be on the clock at the 10th spot in this month’s event. Following a disappointing 2023 season, the assumption was the team would use their top pick to get aging quarterback Aaron Rodgers some help up front. However, after they signed Dallas Cowboys star Tyron Smith in free agency and swung a trade for Baltimore Ravens veteran Morgan Moses that need is not as pressing.
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With the organization having some flexibility and a can’t-miss prospect unlikely to fall to them at 10, it seems the franchise is allegedly open to the idea of moving down in the draft. According to ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini, the Jets are hoping to get “a trade proposal from a quarterback-needy team, which would allow them to acquire a top-100 pick.”
The goal is to get a second-round pick if they make a trade with the teams directly behind them — the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders — but Cimini claims a third-rounder is more likely. Nevertheless, it would achieve the goal of another pick in the top 10.
Could the Las Vegas Raiders be a realistic trade partner for the New York Jets?
Of the three teams, the Las Vegas Raiders are in the least favorable position and seem the most motivated to move up and get one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s class. However, as Cimini mentions in his report, the only way a deal happens is if either Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or JJ McCarthy falls all the way to 10, and at this point, that seems unlikely.
However, if the draft stock of either Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix were to continue to go up in the next couple of weeks, that could afford the New York Jets a trade-down opportunity even if four QBs go in the first nine picks. The team is fairly set, and getting the chance to take more top 100 players to round out a team with Super Bowl aspirations does make sense.