New York Jets fans know what it’s like to cheer for NFL draft positioning.
Instead of rooting for playoff or divisional championship scenarios, once the holiday season rolls around, Jets fans are usually firmly entrenched in tank talk.
On Saturday night, New York received great news relating to one of their first-round selections. After the Houston Texans secured a 20-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Indianapolis Colts were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
The good news for New York? The Jets own the Colts’ first-round pick this year, acquired at the NFL trade deadline in the deal that sent Sauce Gardner to Indy.
Now that they are eliminated from playoff contention, the pick is guaranteed to be within the top 18 and could even rise if they lose their final two games of the season, though it’s unlikely to surpass No. 15, give or take.
For a team like the Jets, two picks within the top 18 could be franchise-altering, not just because of the talent available there, but also due to the flexibility.
If there is a top quarterback who New York truly believes is “their future guy,” they now have the ammunition to trade up and go get him. As a team with holes all over the roster, they also have the opportunity to stay pat, take the best quarterback available with one of their selection, and go BPA (best player available) with their second first-round selection.
There are endless possibilities.
With five first-round picks over the next two drafts and a significant amount of cap space this offseason, the New York Jets have premium capital like no other team in the league.
Now, they must capitalize on it.