New York Jets should approach draft with Aaron Rodgers-based strategy

Apr 20, 2023

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Even the great ones need a little help from their big friends. Aaron Rodgers is no exception, which is why it would surprise no one if the New York Jets select an offensive tackle with the 13th overall pick in the NFL draft on April 27 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC and ESPN App).

Over the past three seasons, including MVP performances in 2020 and 2021 for the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was Superman when protected by his offensive line. When he wasn’t, he was closer to Clark Kent. When pressured, he ranked near the bottom of the league in QBR (21st) and completion percentage (25th), according to ESPN Stats & Information research. With no pressure, he was second and fourth in those categories, respectively.

The Jets want to do everything they can to help their presumptive starter in 2023, which means addressing questions on their offensive line.

Tackles Duane Brown (shoulder) and Mekhi Becton (knee) are coming off surgery and entering the final year of their contracts. Brown will be 38 by opening day; Becton has played only one game since 2020. Tackle Max Mitchell, whose rookie year was cut short because of a hereditary blood-clotting condition, is healthy again but has limited experience (five starts).

Oh, yes, they also need an upgrade at center. Wes Schweitzer, a low-cost addition in free agency, is atop the depth chart for now. The Jets also have interest in longtime Tennessee Titans starter Ben Jones, who will be 34 in July.

The consensus seems to be that the Jets, whose banged-up offensive line ranked 21st in pass block win rate, will take a first-round lineman for the third time in four drafts under general manager Joe Douglas. It’s “close to a lock,” according to ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay.

“I would lean toward the offensive line, personally,” said former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik, a SiriusXM analyst. “If I’m invested and I’ve got this guy named Aaron Rodgers, as much as I’ve just spent some time with that offensive line in trying to get it right, Becton has got me very nervous. Can he stay out there?

“I need a guy. I think the offensive line is a critical spot where they have to continue to push players, especially if I’ve got Aaron Rodgers back there. As much as there are other areas I could continue to build on, I think that’s the spot where I’m going to absolutely sink my investment.”

Ideally, the Jets would like a tackle with position flexibility, someone who could play right tackle as a rookie and become the long-term answer at left tackle. Right now, they have Brown on the left side, Mitchell on the right. Becton was moved to the right side last training camp after being drafted as a left tackle; he could go back to left tackle to compete with Brown. Recovering from his second surgery on his right knee, Becton is expected to sit out the offseason, targeting training camp as his return.

The top four tackle prospects, based on a consensus by ESPN’s four draft analysts, are (in order): Peter Skoronski (Northwestern), Broderick Jones (Georgia), Paris Johnson Jr. (Ohio State) and Darnell Wright (Tennessee). Mel Kiper Jr. is the only analyst who lists Skoronski as a guard, though Kiper still ranks him as the No. 1 offensive lineman.

Skoronski has the most experience at left tackle of the four (33 starts), though some wonder if his relatively short arms (32¼ inches) might hamper his ability to thrive at either tackle position. McShay said that “some teams think he can become a Hall of Fame guard,” also noting there are many in the league who believe Skoronski is so talented, so polished that he could be a terrific tackle.

Perhaps this provides some insight into the Jets’ thinking: Skoronski (6-foot-4, 313) has virtually the same height, weight and arm length as Alijah Vera-Tucker, a college tackle whom the Jets drafted 14th overall in 2021 — to play guard. Vera-Tucker played tackle in a pinch last season, but the team projects that he has All-Pro potential as a guard.

That said, it’s hard to imagine Douglas passing on a lineman as universally admired as Skoronski, who could go in the top 10, according to some mock drafts.

Jones is shy on seasoning — only 19 college starts (all at left tackle) for the two-time defending College Football Playoff champions — but long on elite physical traits. At 6-5, 311 pounds, with a frame reminiscent of Jets Ring of Honor member D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Jones recorded the fastest 40-yard time (4.97 seconds) among offensive linemen at the scouting combine. Go ahead, snicker, but linemen with sub-5.0 40s have a high success rate in the NFL. A former basketball player, he also has quick feet — a must for a tackle.

“I do think Broderick Jones makes a lot of sense [for the Jets],” McShay said. “I think Skoronski probably will be gone by 13. Broderick Jones has the most athletic upside and he doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear on him. … I see the athletic traits there to develop into a really good starter.”

Johnson (6-6, 313) could’ve been a top-five pick in 2024 if he had stayed in school, according to NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who says Johnson must improve his strength and technique. But he’s still a gifted player with more experience than Jones — 13 starts at right guard and 13 starts at left tackle (2022). He was a consensus All-American who didn’t allow a sack until the final two games last season, against Michigan and Georgia.

“There’s a ton to work with,” Jeremiah said.

After three lackluster years, Wright (6-5, 333) made a huge improvement last season, which coincided with his move back to right tackle. He didn’t allow a sack, reduced his penalties (from 10 to two) and fared well against Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., but many evaluators say his best position is right tackle, perhaps guard. If the Jets don’t see left tackle in his future, they probably will grade him behind the others.

The Jets haven’t made any big moves at center — Schweitzer signed for two years, $5 million — probably because they know the draft includes a “weirdly good center class,” McShay said. Led by Joe Tippmann (Wisconsin) and John Michael Schmitz (Minnesota), there are at least five starting-caliber centers, according to McShay.

The sweet spot is the second round, in which the Jets own consecutive selections (42nd and 43rd overall). One of those picks could go to the Packers for Rodgers, whose success in New York could hinge on whether it improves the talent level of the men paid to protect him.