The New York Jets improved their wide receiver unit with the addition of Mike Williams this winter, but they could bring a third dynamic wideout into the fold this spring. Former Baltimore Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. is still available on the open market. The two-time All-Pro honoree is one of the best pass-catchers still out there.
Bleacher Report’s Jack Murray put the Jets atop his list of the top three teams that would best suit Beckham Jr. (h/t Jon Conahan of Fan Nation’s Inside the Jets), and vice versa. He cited quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ return and financial implications as major calling cards for the front office to make a play on the deep-ball threat.
Jets: Odell Beckham Jr. could give the Jets elite production as a WR3 weapon
Though Beckham Jr. is removed from his days as an elite volume receiver in the NFL, his talent for bringing down passes is still there.
Having started six of the 14 games he played last year, the 31-year-old went for a career-high 16.1 yards per reception. He also was counted on for 27 first downs, equalling his total from 2021 in seven fewer starts.
The Jets are stacked at wideout with two proven 1,000-plus yard contributors in Williams and WR1 Garrett Wilson. They also drafted WR Malachi Corley at No. 65 overall in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Western Kentucky.
The team is covered on the outside and the slot, but Beckham Jr. has proven to be reliable as a flex WR2 and WR3, as seen by his notable play in the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl-winning 2021 campaign.
The Jets could give QB Aaron Rodgers another proven veteran pass-catcher in 2024
His most recent 54.7% catch percentage from a season ago and reputation for having some of the best hands in the league would give Rodgers another top-shelf option to zero in on downfield and in red zone opportunities.
The Jets have roughly $9.19 million in cap space at the present. They can allocate that toward a Beckham Jr. signing. The LSU product signed a one-year deal worth up to $18 million with the Ravens ahead of the 2023 campaign, but will likely fall into the Jets’ range seeing he has yet to be picked up by a team.