New York Jets: Trading Down in 2017 NFL Draft is Right Move

The New York Jets have made it clear that they are looking to move back in the NFL Draft. Is this the right move?

After a poor 2016 season, the New York Jets are making a lot of moves this offseason. They have recently begun to purge their roster of expensive veterans, and more cuts might still be on the way.

Even though free agency is before the NFL Draft, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan has let other teams know that the Jets are open for business. With the sixth pick in the first round, Maccagnan is looking to move down in that round, and others.

"“We’re open for business in every round,” Maccagnan said to Brian Costello of the New York Post. “If somebody wants to move up and we have a pick in that round, call us up.”“We would like to move back and acquire more picks in this draft if possible,” Maccagnan said to Costello. “In my mind, that affords you at least the opportunity to expedite the process of trying to improve the talent base on your roster.”"

With plenty of needs, moving down in the NFL Draft makes a lot of sense. The Jets have multiple needs on both sides of the ball, and they could use more picks to help replenish what they have recently released.

Having a top 10 pick in the draft can be a valuable asset for them. Including the Jets, the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and Chicago Bears are all in need of a quarterback. Most don’t believe that the Browns will take any of the quarterbacks with the first overall pick. This means that the Jets might have one of the quarterbacks on the board when they are drafting sixth.

Next: 5 Players That Could Be Moved by the Jets

As the Jets head toward their rebuild, having more draft picks will be important. While the Jets have made it clear that they want to move down, they will also need to find a partner.