Picking the New York Jets best Round 1 draft target after the 2024 NFL Combine
Joe Douglas, Robert Saleh and co. went into Indianapolis hoping their pre-combine analysis of a few of the players would be solidified and they could move on with their offseason plan. The players they went to see did not disappoint. They have one priority this off-season, and that is to get Rodgers everything he needs […]
Joe Douglas, Robert Saleh and co. went into Indianapolis hoping their pre-combine analysis of a few of the players would be solidified and they could move on with their offseason plan.
The players they went to see did not disappoint.
They have one priority this off-season, and that is to get Rodgers everything he needs to push this time over the hump.
The Jets need to be all-in on this season and next season. The window is closing fast and there isn’t a quarterback on the roster or available to them in free agency or the draft to make them believe the window won’t shut completely.
Being all-in is not something the Jets have been able to do in recent years, but when they signed Aaron Rodgers last season, everything changed.
Penn State OT Olu Fashanu Solidified His Status as a Top 10 Pick
It is no secret what the Jets will covet this off season and that is a rebuilt offensive line. With only two of the five starters currently on the roster and one of them (Alijah Vera-Tucker) coming off an Achilles injury, and the other only entering his sophomore season, the Jets will have to spend as much capital as they can on protecting Rodgers.
The Jets will look at their top selection at number 10 as a sure-fire starter along that offensive front. Fashanu should be available for them at ten and they shouldn’t even entertain trade offers if he is.
At 6-6 and over 310 pounds, Fashanu tested like a premier athlete at the combine. And it shows on film. While none of his results were epic, the relatively young offensive tackle prospect had one of the highest vertical jumps among offensive linemen, and eclipsing 9-0 in the broad jump is impressive.
Fashanu ran his first 40-yard-dash, but did not take his second run and he did not do position drills. Fashanu told Stacey Dales of NFL Media that he suffered a right thigh injury.
Penn State’s Pro Day is March 15 and Fashanu said he thinks he should be good to go for that workout. Fashanu ran a 5.11 40 and did the vertical and broad jumps before calling it a day.
Daniel Jeremiah, the NFL Network draft analyst, said Fashanu will be "plug and play" on most any NFL offensive line. ESPN analyst Matt Miller calls Fashanu one of 16 prospects (and only three offensive linemen) with first-round grades. Mel Kiper Jr. has Fashanu as the No. 2 tackle and No. 9 prospect overall.
The Big Ten offensive lineman of the year allowed one sack in more than 680 pass-protection snaps over the past two seasons. A team captain, something Jets GM Joe Douglas covets in his draft prospects, Fashanu also was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy.
What if Fashanu is Off the Board?
While most experts at this point believe that Notre Dame OT Joe Alt will be the first tackle taken in the draft, the Jets should make sure if he falls to them they have a preference on which tackle they like better.
Should both Alt and Fashanu go before the Jets are up at ten, the plan doesn’t change. Stick with the offensive line retool. Jets fans need to prepare themselves for the possibility of passing on a great wide receiver or even a top level tight end like Georgia’s Brock Bowers in order to fix the offensive line.
Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga will be the next man up in that scenario. Another team captain who started all 13 games for the Beavers last year. The only knock on Fuaga is he might translate more as a right tackle in the NFL as opposed to the left tackle the Jets will be seeking. That shouldn’t stop them from adding his talent to all but talentless offensive line.
Jets reportedly cut G Laken Tomlinson to save $8.1 million in cap space for 2024
The overhaul of the New York Jets offensive line has begun. The New York Jets are reportedly releasing guard Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson was due to have a cap charge of $18.8 million for 2024. Cutting him will save the Jets roughly $8.1 million on the cap this season. The move is not entirely unexpected as […]
