The New York Jets came away as winners of the 2024 NFL Draft, and their front office is loving the way the team’s future looks. Jets general manager Joe Douglas spoke highly of their eventful draft weekend, as Randy Lange of newyorkjets.com shared:
“We felt like we had a lot of fun over the weekend,” Douglas said. “We added very good players to this team, and our types of guys,” Douglas said. “The board kind of fell our way and we were able to trade back and get guys we wanted.”
OT Olu Fashanu and WR Malachi Corley give the Jets two important weapons in areas of need
The Jets’ defense is strong and they are getting four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers back to start the 2024 campaign. So, New York addressed a pressing need by drafting outstanding Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the No. 11 overall pick.
Fashanu allowed no sacks in his entire four-year career with the Nittany Lions and will strengthen the Jets’ offensive line and left tackle. Though, the Jets’ sound selecting did not stop there.
In the third round, the Jets snagged wide receiver Malachi Corley out of Western Kentucky. His 984 receiving yards and 11 REC touchdowns impressed in 2023.
Moreover, per DraftSharks analyst Jared Smola, the 22-year-old excelled in screen pass plays, leading the nation with 330 yards in such opportunities while averaging 8.6 yards after the catch, the latter of which ranked No. 18 in the nation. The Jets got a competent pass-catcher behind Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams.
Jets also added promising prospects behind star offensive weapons and standout DB depth chart
The Jets also stacked their backfield with Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen taken at No. 134 overall and South Dakota State’s Isaiah Davis with pick No. 173. Allen averaged 5.4 yards per rush and was a threat in the receiving game with 132 REC yards while Davis piled on 1,578 rushing yards and 18 Rush TDs behind 6.7 yards per carry.
New York is in good hands with current featured back Breece Hall but now has two promising rushers to implement into their scheme.
The Jets found Zach Wilson’s replacement at backup quarterback with FSU’s Jordan Travis. Behind Rodgers, the Jets will cultivate Travis’ talent as a dual-threat QB. He went for 2,756 passing yards and a 20-2 TD-INT ratio as a senior and rushed for 417 yards and seven rush TDs in his junior season with the Seminoles.
To round out their Day 3, the Jets added reinforcements to their defensive back unit with Quan’tez Stiggers from the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and Alabama’s Jaylen Key with the Mr. Irrelevant No. 257 overall selection. Both notched over 50 total tackles in 2023, with Stiggers collecting 56 in the CFL and Key bringing down 60 tackles for the Crimson Tide.
The Jets are poised to make a playoff run in 2024. Fashanu and Corley are expected to contribute out of the gates while the rest of their talented pool of young players will be vital toward their future outlook.