Jets can’t tank correctly, and the Jaguars are getting Trevor Lawrence

The Jets’ win over the Rams handed Trevor Lawrence to the Jaguars.

The New York Jets will not join the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns in the ranks of the teams to have gone 0-16, but they may just have cost themselves the chance to select Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 NFL Draft.

New York has long since appeared destined to go the entire 2020 season winless and the Jets even had some accusing them of tanking after a remarkable late collapse against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13.

But they proved in Week 15 that they cannot tank properly after pulling off arguably the upset of the season by holding on to defeat the playoff-bound Los Angeles Rams 23-20.

That victory means the Jacksonville Jaguars move into the number one overall pick courtesy of the Jaguars having a weaker strength of schedule, putting the AFC South franchise in prime position to select Clemson phenom Lawrence, who is viewed as the undisputed cream of a talented quarterback crop in 2021.

Now slated to pick second overall, the Jets can still net an exciting consolation prize in the form of Ohio State star Justin Fields, who has the skill set to turn the fortunes of this moribund franchise around. The scale of the gap between Lawrence and Fields depends on which observer you speak to, and they will face off in the Sugar Bowl matchup in the College Football Playoff semi-finals.

Regardless of what happens in the draft, this game serves as further evidence that tanking is not a word in the vernacular of NFL players. Sam Darnold produced one of his better performances of a challenging season while likely Hall of Famer Frank Gore and impressive young safety Marcus Maye helped will the Jets to victory.

They will all avoid the ignominy of having 0-16 on their resume and Jets fans concerned after losing the inside track to the first overall pick will have to hope general manager Joe Douglas can right the ship without it, and start doing their homework on Fields.