The future of Aaron Rodgers on Broadway is uncertain. After a disappointing 2024 season, the New York Jets could be back in the market for a quarterback. Picking No. 7 in the NFL Draft, it would take something drastic to see them land one of the class’s top prospects. But that’s what happened in one recent mock draft.
Jets predicted to take Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders at No. 7
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm predicted that the Jets would select Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft:
“I’m not buying the ‘Sanders at No. 1’ talk, and I thought about sliding him down further (to the Steelers?), but then I remembered the Jets don’t really have a QB. Maybe it doesn’t happen, but this pairing would be … interesting,” Edholm wrote.
Edholm did not appear to be too high on the volume passer, but the pairing makes much sense nonetheless. Sanders led the FBS with 4,134 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns in 2024. He’d be a grade-A pocket passer who protects the football, as exemplified by his NCAA Division I record 71.8 percent career completion rate and mere 10 interceptions thrown in the last campaign.
Sanders is a projected top-three pick in this class. However, many analysts have warned that the NFL is not as high on the Colorado quarterback as the media seems to be, leading to speculation that he could slide on draft night. If that’s true, then perhaps the Jets would be able to land Sanders at seventh overall.
The Jets could be preparing to move on from Aaron Rodgers
The Jets are staring at the possibility of Rodgers retiring this offseason while also considering the idea of moving on from him if he doesn’t. New York went 5-12 last season despite an uber-talented roster. In order to ensure that their elite wide receiver room consisting of two proven 1,000-yard receivers in Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams gets maximized to their fullest extent, the Jets could select Sanders if he falls to them in the draft.
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Sanders has the chops to be the Jets’ franchise QB
Sanders has been criticized for his lack of a ground game. Other than that, he stands tall next to Miami QB Cam Ward as one of the top arm talents in the upcoming pool of prospects. Whether or not Rodgers retires, the 41-year-old is up there in age and has openly professed that the end of his career is near for him.
Thus, New York could ensure themselves for the future with a talent whose game looks like it will translate nicely to the NFL level from the onset. Worst case scenario, the Jets will go another round with their four-time league MVP under center, who would be just about as good a mentor for Sanders as possibly conceivable, until he’s ready to take the reins.
