New York Jets

Jets should stay away from drafting a first-round quarterback

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:37 p.m. ET

Fansided, Luis Tirado Jr./FanSided via The Jet Press

As the New York Jets have some major questions at quarterback, they should stay away from drafting one in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Make no mistake about it, the New York Jets easily have uncertainty at quarterback. Easily the most important part of the team, it’s hard to gauge what the Jets plan to do to ensure they won’t any major problems with the quarterbacks they currently have under contract.

At this point in time, the Jets have Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg for 2017 with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith more than likely not returning. It makes sense for the Jets to stick with the quarterbacks they currently have and perhaps acquire an inexpensive veteran option as insurance.

But with the 2017 NFL Draft coming up in just a few months, would general manager Mike Maccagnan be enticed to consider drafting yet another quarterback into the mix with the No. 6 overall pick? It’s hard to determine but in the grand scheme of things, they shouldn’t waste it on a quarterback.

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With major issues to address on their offensive line, defensive secondary, and even at wide receiver, the Jets should use it on one of those areas. Football games are won and lost in the trenches, so it’s presumed that drafting a top offensive lineman is a top priority for Maccagnan and company.

Wasting a first-round pick on a quarterback won’t be worth it down the road. The Jets have prospects to cultivate in Petty and Hackenberg and should continue putting them in a position to see what they ultimately got. The football world got a very small sample size last season with Petty as a starter but there is no clarity if he’s the long-term answer. The Jets also have no idea on what they have with Hackenberg, who looks like he’ll need another year or two before even being in the conversation of starting under center.

Maccagnan recently chimed in his thoughts about if he’d be interested in selecting a quarterback early in this year’s draft. As per the Media Relations Department of the Jets, here is what he had to say:

On if he is open to drafting a quarterback early in the 2017 NFL Draft…

From that standpoint, anything that we would do or not do, I don’t necessarily want to tell other teams what our interests are or what our thoughts would be. With the draft, our philosophy has been to build a board. As the draft unfolds, focus on whatever the best player is at (any) position is in terms of the draft. I wouldn’t necessarily put anything on the table or take anything off the table. I think if anything, with that position or any position on the team, you keep all options open.

Overall, Maccagnan always knows how to say the right thing at the right time. Who knows what will transpire come draft day, but it’s best the Jets use that No. 6 overall pick on a premier offensive lineman, defensive back, or even an offensive playmaker. Wasting it on yet another quarterback won’t bring the immediate impact the Jets need at other key areas of opportunity.