2021 NFL Draft: 5 bold predictions for Round 1
1. The Jets will trade the No. 2 pick
New York still doesn’t seem sure what they want to do with Sam Darnold. His on-field play has been inconsistent at best since his arrival from USC. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine a worse ecosystem for a young quarterback than what the Jets have offered in recent years.
That leaves new head coach Robert Saleh with an interesting decision to make. He could easily use the No. 2 overall pick to land a new quarterback that would send Darnold packing. The other alternative is to auction that selection off to the highest bidder to help replenish the rest of the roster with the talent required to compete in the NFL.
Saleh’s defensive leanings as a coach will tempt him towards the latter option. He’ll see giving Darnold another season with an upgrade in both coaching and surrounding talent as the more prudent course of action.
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That will permit the Jets to sell the No. 2 pick for an absolute haul. Teams looking to land anyone not-named Trevor Lawrence will see New York as an ideal trade partner. In particular, the Jets can extract a treasure trove of draft capital from teams looking to land Zach Wilson or Justin Fields. Fans in New York might ridicule the Jets for passing on the chance to land a future star at quarterback, but the unfortunate reality is that the Jets might not be ready to add a star quarterback due to their other roster deficiencies. Making this sort of trade could help build the sort of infrastructure required to make that kind of addition in a future offseason.