As the New York Jets prepare for the long offseason ahead, there is only one top priority for them heading into the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft. Gang Green must bolster their offensive line.
To win football games means to win the battle of the trenches. The overall play of the offensive line of the New York Jets as of late leaves much to the imagination. The positional group as a whole is in dire need of younger talent and players that aren’t consistently injured and nearing retirement.
While the Jets will more than likely add a few pieces to their offensive line via free agency, they will need to turn to the 2017 NFL Draft to find their next anchor or two. Whether they go center, guard, or tackle, the Jets need to undoubtedly draft a stud of an offensive lineman to ensure they have someone to build around for the next decade or so. It’s worth a first-round pick in the grand scheme of things.
It’s no secret that drafting offensive linemen is indeed a boring pick but it’s essential for long-term success in the NFL. One common theme across the most successful teams from the Dallas Cowboys to even the Kansas City Chiefs are the efficiency of their respective offensive lines.
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The Jets need to follow suit and use their No. 6 pick in the 1st Round of this year’s draft and use it on the best player available to bolster their offensive line. No, it shouldn’t be used on a quarterback or even on a defensive back but on an offensive lineman capable of being a starter right off the bat come next season.
Hopefully, general manager Mike Maccagnan understands that the offensive line of the Jets is the top priority to address if they’re to bounce back in 2017 and beyond. There are plenty of voids to fill across the line between Nick Mangold, Breno Giacomini, and Ryan Clady just to name a few.
There are a good amount of top prospects available that could address the offensive line of the Jets and then some. Especially if they’re able to grab a lineman or two via free agency to add as quality depth.
Overall, it’s time the Jets started making smart draft choices for the benefit of the future. They need younger offensive lineman badly and it wouldn’t be surprising if they spent their first and even second round pick on the positional group to address it once and for all.
