New York Jets five biggest positional needs this offseason

1. Offensive Line

The New York Jets need to address the elephant in the room by actually drafting some offensive lineman. It has been so long since the Jets have used a first or second-round pick on the offensive line. The last time they did so was back in 2006 when Gang Green drafted both D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold.

Watching the NYJ offensive line play this year was an eyesore. The lack of time the Jets running backs and quarterbacks had to execute a play was a detriment to the offense. As a Jets fan myself, I was constantly shaking my head with displeasure (*insert smh emoji*).

According to Pro Football Focus, the Jets were ranked 28th out of 32 teams in the NFL. The Jets ranked so low was because they averaged .7 rushing yards before contact and gave quarterbacks 2.5 seconds or less to pass. Controlling the line of scrimmage is extremely important if you want to have a successful offense because you need time for plays to develop in the NFL.

One way the Jets can solve this issue is by drafting some linemen. This would probably be the best option considering they would want to reduce turnover at the point of attack. By utilizing the draft, Gang Green would hopefully find their next Mangold and Ferguson to anchor the line.

Some prospects the Jets may be able to draft are Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, and Andrew Thomas. All three players are offensive tackles that would help secure the edges of the line. If you would like to read more about them, I would highly recommend checking out Justin Fried’s article on “Top 3 Offensive linemen to target.” from our cousins at the Jet Press.

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Another way the Jets could mitigate their linemen issue is by signing some free agents, such as Anthony Castonzo, Jack Conklin, and Brandon Scherff. As much as these players would be considered upgrades, two of them (Castonzo & Scherff) are 28 and 31-years-old, respectively. So they are either in their prime or past it, meaning the Jets may have to find their replacements sooner rather than later. This would not be ideal for the Jets who are trying to grow a unit along with their young franchise quarterback.

Conclusion

Hopefully, Douglas can address a majority (if not all) of the Jets needs this offseason. Gang Green fans have been begging for this team to make the postseason. It has been too long since watching a Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez led team making it to back-to-back AFC championships. I have faith that Joe Douglas will be able to steer this ship in the right direction and end the playoff drought for Gang Green.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.