Joe Douglas is in the midst of a crucial offseason with the Jets, and after making several notable additions in free agency, the Jets GM is turning his sights to what he sees as a potentially “special” draft for Gang Green.
“This will be my third offseason with the team, and each year, you walk in with a plan,” Douglas said. “This year, having four picks in the top 38, if we do this the right way, it could really be special. Where we set ourselves up in free agency, and the opportunity with these top four picks, it's a huge opportunity for us.”
The Jets’ offseason additions, including veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein, are part of Douglas’ initiative to take the next step in the franchise’s rebuild and be playing games that matter down the stretch of next season, and not meaningful towards NFL Draft positioning.
“We need to be playing meaningful games in December,” Douglas said. “I think with a couple of moves we made recently, we expect to be playing in a lot more close games, and if we’re going to be in close games, we need a good kicker. Signing Zuerlein and bringing Eddy [Piniero] back, it’s gonna be a nice competition there. hopefully they can be a big factor for us in these tighter games we play next year.”
The Jets will need an improved offense around Zach Wilson in order to take the next step, and Douglas is confident in the offensive line to help New York reach new heights. A crucial component to the success of that unit is Mekhi Becton, who battled injury for nearly all of last season after a promising rookie campaign. Head coach Robert Saleh indicated on Monday that Becton would not be guaranteed a starting role if healthy, but Douglas made it seem like Becton is part of the starting unit.
“We are operating like Mekhi is gonna be one of our two tackles,” Douglas said. “Our expectation is that he'll come back ready to roll. He's fired up to get back on the field and compete.”
Around Becton will be sophomore Alijah Vera-Tucker and newly-acquired Laken Tomlinson, who will be the two guards heading into camp, per Saleh. Douglas confirmed that on Tuesday, and said the two will make up a formidable duo protecting Wilson.
“We feel fortunate to have one of the best, if not the best, guard tandems in the league,” Douglas said. “It’s a nice luxury to have for our offense.”
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