The New York Jets are in one of the weirdest positions of any team in the entire league. A roster filled with stars left and right, and a solid core of young players which will be a driving force for years to come. However, there is no leadership.
As of now, the Jets do not have a head coach, or a general manager, and seem to be parting ways with future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is at some fault for a disaster of a season in 2024. Now, the Jets are left with the seventh-overall pick, a fan base feening for success, and a roster that is seemingly capable of achieving much more than it did this past season.
So what will the Jets do with another high-end draft pick as they look to push for the postseason in 2025? Today we’ll go over many different avenues in which the Jets could take, and figure out how to make this roster work in unison. There is no particular ranking of these paths, as they would all benefit the team. Let’s get into it!
Analyzing the Jets’ top options with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
Idea No. 1: Solidify your Pass Rush
This is a big possibility for the Jets, as odds are both of these players will already be selected at their pick. But if they are not, both Mason Graham and Abdul Carter would be very big additions to help get the defensive line back to what it was in 2023.
Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter: This is definitely the more unrealistic of the two options, but if given the opportunity to acquire his talents, the front office must. The Jets have a corps of pass rushers consisting of interior lineman Quinnen Williams, with Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson on the outside.
McDonald is coming over off a year where he made his mark, having 10.5 sacks, but wasn’t on the field for the majority of early downs because of his poor run-defending skills. Jermaine Johnson is another good edge, but he missed all of 2024 with a torn Achilles. They also had Haason Reddick in 2024, but that experiment was a failure. He missed the early portion of games because of a contract dispute, and when he returned, it was not pretty.
If Carter from Penn State were to be added, he would bring an immediate game-changing presence which was evident when he played against Notre Dame in the College semifinals. Carter would be an every-down player for the Jets, and could bring a spark to get the defense back to form.
Michigan DT Mason Graham: An option that could be on the board for Gang Green is getting an interior force to pair Quinnen Williams up with. Graham was a dude for Michigan, helping them win a National Championship in 2023. Getting Graham would free up Williams more, as he would not be able to get doubled as much as he does now. Graham would be big to have, as their starting four guys would be McDonald, Quinnen, Graham, and Johnson. That is terrifying for the defense on all downs.
Idea No. 2: Help Out Your Quarterback
Your big threat on your offense is Garrett Wilson. Yes, there have been people talking about Garrett wanting out after this season. Do NOT buy into it. He will be a Jet. But, the other star opposite Wilson doesn’t seem to be returning to New York. With Rodgers most likely on his way out, that also means more than likely that Davante Adams will be joining him. These two leaving opens up big spots for the Jets to go out and find their guy to pair Wilson with for the future.
Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan: The Arizona Wildcat product would be a very good fit with the New York Jets. Wilson, McMillan, and Breece Hall, this would lead to much success in the future.
McMillan is a 6’5, 210-pound beast on the outside. He can win jump balls and seems to use his body as an advantage over small corners. He is an elite route runner and would fit in phenomenally with Garrett. You could build around this core of guys while finding a quarterback who can lead this team into the promised land. If you have a different quarterback coming in, having good weapons around him would ensure the best results are achievable.
Penn State TE Tyler Warren: This may seem like a bit of a reach for the Penn State tight end, and while that may be true, Warren seems as if he is going to be a problem. A big, projectable frame for Warren, he showed his future All-Pro abilities in his final collegiate season. His best game came against USC, where he lit up the stat sheet, posting 17 receptions, 224 yards, and a touchdown. He is also an experienced blocker, as Penn State has used Warren out of the backfield as a lead blocker for their backs. Selecting Warren with the 1.07 may be early, but he will be an outstanding player in the NFL.
Missouri WR Luther Burden III: If the Jets were looking for a receiver with a bit more versatility, that could be used out of the backfield, Burden III is their guy. Over the past 3 years for Missouri, Burden has been a big piece of the offense. Burden has over-the-top speed, which would be able to open up the middle of the field more.
While these are all different types of players, the Wilson-Burden duo could be similar to Amon-Ra St. Brown-Jameson Williams. Williams opens up the middle of the field with his blazing speed, for St. Brown to get open in the middle. This could be the vision of the Jets’ front office and coaching staff, and would be a big addition to an offense that ranked in the bottom 10 in yards and points per game.
Idea No. 3: Back-End Help
Michigan CB Will Johnson: Let’s just go right into this one. One of the best players, if not the best player in the draft, Will Johnson is a pure shut-down corner. He has the ability to lock down a side of the field, and with Sauce Gardner hopefully returning to his All-Pro form, the Jets would easily have one of the best corner duos in football.
Johnson has been a big part of Michigan’s defense, similar to Mason Graham, helping them with the National Championship in 2023. Will Johnson is a 6’2 corner, with length that will make it extremely hard for quarterbacks to fit tight passes in. He projects to be a No. 1 corner, and that duo in New York would be special.
Idea No. 4: Protect Your Quarterback
The Jets coming into the season were expected to have a much improved offensive line. Consisting of future Hall of Fame tackle Tyron Smith, who was opposite former Ravens tackle Morgan Moses, the Jets had massive expectations for the group. But evidently, the group did not work out together. Injuries, underperforming, and just bad performances from the whole lineup have led to a need for change. Here are two names that can be added to improve this squad.
LSU OT Will Campbell: One of the strongest linemen in this class, Campbell is destined to be a cornerstone of an offensive line for years. Campbell has been a staple of the Tigers for the past few years, only allowing 2 sacks with 6 penalties.
There have been concerns with his arm length and how he could translate to being an elite guard, but Campbell has proven that his perfect footwork can make up for his arms. With improvements to his hand fits, Campbell can be an extremely talented tackle that could start for the Jets for years to come.
Texas OL Kelvin Banks Jr; The Texas product is seen as more of a question mark when it comes to positioning than Campbell. Banks Jr is very good in pass protection, but needs to improve on his run blocking to greatly improve his game. Banks is a 6’4, 325-pound lineman who has a lot of range when blocking. Banks has impressed as a Texas Longhorn, as he was a starter for them since his freshman year. Campbell might be a better prospect than Banks, but he is definitely not a slouch.
