Jets' biggest red flag after the 2025 NFL Draft is the same problem the team has had for years

With the NFL draft in the books for the New York Jets, their roster looks all bet set for training camp in a couple of months. But while the players might be set, there are still a lot of questions that remain for the Jets. With that in mind, here are the three biggest questions […]

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New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard (10) celebrates his touchdown reception with wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

With the NFL draft in the books for the New York Jets, their roster looks all bet set for training camp in a couple of months.

But while the players might be set, there are still a lot of questions that remain for the Jets. With that in mind, here are the three biggest questions for the Jets after the 2025 NFL Draft.


Who is going to catch the ball after Garrett Wilson?

The Jets had a choice to make at number seven overall in the first round of the NFL: do they take the best pass catcher available or the best offensive lineman? For the second year in a row, the Jets chose the latter and sure up their offensive line.

I like the Membou pick a lot because of the player, although I’m a little disheartened by the philosophy the Jets are employing on the offensive line of “if we didn’t take you top 50, you aren’t able to play”.

The Membou selection solves the Jets issue on the offensive line but leaves another still in limbo: who is the Jets number two receiver? The Jets managed to keep Allen Lazard around for another year after a failed trade attempt, but I count on him about as much as I do that Woody Johnson will not meddle again. The Jets signed Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson but neither guy is a real factor in the passing game.

In the draft the Jets selected Mason Taylor in the second round and Arian Smith in the fourth. Taylor is a good player, but I don’t expect him to be anything more than a 3-7 yards safety valve. Taylor never had 100-yard game in college and isn’t some dynamic red zone threat. He’s an old school tight end, who won’t be anything like Brock Bowers, Travis Kelce or George Kittle.

Smith is a burner. He is a big play waiting to happen. But with big time drop issues and a very limited route tree, don’t expect him to be a factor in the passing game much beyond a big play every couple of weeks.


Is the defense improved enough to stop the run?

One of the biggest surprises with the Jets draft for me was how they seemingly ignored the defensive front. The Jets ranked in the bottom half of the league in rush defense, giving up over four yards per carry and 22 rushing touchdowns last season.

In free agency, the Jets signed Kansas City Chiefs castoff Derrick Nnadi and Chicago Bears DT Byron Cowart, but both guys are much more rotational players than they are starters for a defense that is going to try and carry the team. Coming from Detroit, I thought Aaron Glenn’s first priority would be to sure up the rushing defense, as that has been the identity of the Detroit Lions defense in recent years.

The Jets didn’t take a defensive tackle in the draft and used their last pick, the last one of the fifth round (No 176) to take Tyler Baron out of Miami. Baron is a late round flyer who has potential, but needs a lot of work to live up to it. Sure, the Jets are banking on Aaron Glenn being able to squeeze every last drop of potential from every single player on the roster, but this is going a bit too far.

Part of the reason that Quinnen Williams has not been able to put up the big numbers most of us expected him to at this point in his career is that he is seeing double and even triple-teams on a majority of plays. Until the Jets get someone to make them pay in one-on-one matchups, the Jets defense is going to have some holes in the run game.


What is the future at Quarterback for this team?

I predicted the Jets would not draft a quarterback in this draft, and despite 13 quarterbacks being drafted, the Jets did not take one of them. They did sign Missouri quarterback Brady Cook as an undrafted free agent, but other than that, the position was ignored. The Jets passed on Shedeur Sanders five times making it clear that they didn’t want him. They didn’t take a flyer like most thought they would on Syracuse’s Kyle McCord or Ohio State’s Will Howard.

The Jets are going to roll with Justin Fields for better or worse in 2024. I understand and even agree with the philosophy. This draft was all about building a team for a quarterback to succeed. If Fields can’t do it this year, then the Jets can reassess next season with a much deeper and better crop of quarterbacks without the specter of a developmental player who never got a fair shot hanging over their heads.

But in the short term, that is a lot of eggs to put in the Justin Fields basket. I have been adamant in my stance that Fields is nobody’s answer at quarterback if you are serious about a Super Bowl run, and not having someone to push him in camp outside of Tyrod Taylor is a gamble.