New York Jets: 5 offseason needs in 2020

1. Offensive Line

Any Jets’ fan will tell you that priorities one through five for Gang Green over the winter has to be improving the offensive line. The front five was abysmal for the Jets in 2019, sinking the season thanks to poor performance in both the running game and pass protection.

The line has suffered from years of neglect from the Jets’ previous three GMs, who all combined to select just three offensive linemen in the first three rounds of the draft since 2010, and that includes the 2019 choice of Chuma Edoga in the third round. Maccagnan tried to patch the line together with veterans, and it imploded spectacularly a year ago.

Fortunately for the Jets, Douglas recognized the Jets’ deficiencies up front immediately, trading for Alex Lewis and coaxing Ryan Kalil out of retirement in August to try and bolster the offensive line. The moves didn’t work, but they did demonstrate that Douglas knows that his most important job is fixing the offensive line.

Edoga may well be the only starter to return from year-to-year, and there are a lot of ways for Douglas to attack the offensive line problem. The Jets will likely make at least one splash along the offensive line in free agency, and a few other starters could be signed over the winter as well.

Offensive line should also be a major consideration for the Jets early in the draft, where they hold four picks in the first three rounds. If the Jets approach the draft like they did in 2006, when they drafted franchise icons D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold in the first round, that could be a massive step forward for Darnold and the team in the long term.