As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the New York Jets.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Jets pick in the NFL Draft?
The New York Jets selected Will McDonald IV (EDGE, Iowa State) with the 15th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Jets added Joe Tippmann (OL, Wisconsin) with the 43rd pick.
Jets Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Offensive Line
- Defensive Line
- Safety
What Picks do the New York Jets have in 2023?
The New York Jets have five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (15)
- Round 2 (43)
- Round 4 (112)
- Round 5 (143)
- Round 5 (170)
New York Jets Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Jets Sharp Draft Value Rank: 13 of 32 teams
- Jets AV Model Draft Value Rank: 12 of 32 teams
- Jets OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 17 of 32 teams
New York Jets Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Jets' draft value is 1% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. 12 other teams have more draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
New York Jets Draft Prediction:
The Jets are predicted to draft Darnell Wright (OT, Tennessee) with their 1st round pick (#15 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Jets predicted to draft Broderick Jones (OT, Georgia) with their 1st round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
New York Jets Strength of Schedule, 2023
The New York Jets have the eighth hardest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
New York Jets Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the New York Jets, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 New York Jets Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Jets:
- Aaron Rodgers
- Zach Wilson
- Tim Boyle
- Chris Streveler
The Jets and Packers finally made their long-awaited swap of Aaron Rodgers just three days before the NFL draft.
In exchange for the quarterback and a fifth-round pick, New York moved down two spots in the first round this year and gave up a second-round pick this year, a sixth-round pick this year, and a conditional second-round pick in 2024 that can become a first rounder.
Rodgers undoubtedly took a step back last year, but Green Bay’s struggles were not all on him.
His on-target throw percentage was actually higher than it was in 2021, and PFF calculated his 2022 adjusted completion rate as roughly the same as it was the year before.
That is not a surprise considering Rodgers tied for the league “lead” with 40 dropped passes, easily the highest number of his career.
Even a diminished version of Rodgers is better than what the Jets rolled out last year, especially Zach Wilson.
Among the 33 quarterbacks that qualified for league passer rating in 2023, Wilson was dead last in completion rate (54.5%) and quarterback rating (72.8).
He ranked 32nd in expected points added per dropback (-0.14) and success rate (35.4%). He was ahead of only Baker Mayfield in those categories.
Wilson also had the worst inaccuracy rate (throws deemed off target due to the quarterback) per TruMedia at 18.6% among those passers.
Running Back Depth Chart, Jets:
- Breece Hall
- Michael Carter
- Zonovan Knight
- Ty Johnson
- Nick Bawden (FB)
The Jets selected Breece Hall as the first running back taken in the 2022 draft, and he immediately showcased his explosion and versatility to justify the choice.
Hall averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per reception with five touchdowns. No running back that handled as many opportunities as he did averaged more yards per touch than Hall’s 6.9.
Unfortunately, Hall only appeared in seven games and handled 99 touches since he tore his ACL in October.
He had his surgery on November 18th, putting Week 1 right around nine months after the surgery. That is around the shorter end of the typical timeline of recovery.
Even if Hall is active to open the season, there could be some early limitations despite the reports earlier this month that Hall is “doing great” in his recovery to this stage.
Michael Carter took a significant step backward in his second season.
After averaging 5.3 yards per touch as a rookie, Carter dipped down to 4.5 yards per touch in 2023.
Among the 42 running backs to have 100 or more carries, Carter was dead last in expected points added per rush (-0.20), success rate (29.8%), and rate of runs to gain 10 or more yards (6.1%).
By the time Carter started to receive extended work, the New York offensive line was beaten up, but there was a reason Carter was pushed by an undrafted rookie to close the season.
Zonovan Knight was someone the Jets could throw touches at, but his results were largely just as inefficient.
Knight averaged 4.1 yards per touch while his 28.2% success rate rushing was ahead of only Chase Edmonds (26.5%) among all running backs to run the ball 50 or more times last season.
The Jets have enough bodies here while Hall works his way back up to 100% while a healthier offensive line and improved quarterback play can raise the tides of inefficiency that the backs outside of Hall had in 2022.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Jets:
- Garrett Wilson
- Allen Lazard
- Mecole Hardman
- Corey Davis
- Denzel Mims
- Diontae Spencer
- Malik Taylor
- Irvin Charles
The Jets selected Garrett Wilson with the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft and were immediately rewarded.
Wilson led all rookies with 1,103 receiving yards and won the Rookie of the Year award.
What is impressive about Wilson’s season is that 16.3% of his targets were deemed inaccurate by the quarterback, which was the fourth-highest rate among all NFL wide receivers to have 100 or more targets in 2022.
18.8% of his 51 targets from Zach Wilson were deemed uncatchable while he also saw another 50 targets from Joe Flacco, 41 from Mike White, and five from Chris Streveler.
Needless to say, if the Jets do land Aaron Rodgers, Wilson has an enormous ceiling that can push him to be one of the most productive receivers in the league and a massive value on a rookie contract.
The Jets added Allen Lazard this offseason on a four-year contract that can be as small as a two-year contract.
In 2022, Lazard set career-highs in targets (100), receptions (60), and receiving yards (788) to go along with six touchdowns.
We have a great understanding of what we have in Lazard. He is strong in the contested catch game and a solid isolation receiver that struggles with nuance and creating separation.
Lazard was targeted on 26.6% of his routes with 1.93 yards per route run against man coverage last season. He was targeted on 16.6% of his routes with 1.45 yards per route run against zone coverage.
The team also added Mecole Hardman on a one-year contract.
Hardman has yet to develop as an actual wide receiver despite four years with the Chiefs. The Jets were more than cognizant of that, signing him for a deal worth up to $4.5 million with incentives layered in based on receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Wilson and Lazard are the only wide receivers the team has signed beyond this season.
While they have Corey Davis, Hardman, and the ghost of Denzel Mims still on the roster as tangible options in 2022, there is a reason the team has been linked to adding another higher-profile receiver such as DeAndre Hopkins that goes beyond adding another carrot for Aaron Rodgers, who already has said he wants to join the team.
Tight End Depth Chart, Jets:
- Tyler Conklin
- C.J. Uzomah
- Jeremy Ruckert
- Kenny Yeboah
The Jets invested heavily into the tight end position last offseason, signing both Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah to multi-year contracts in free agency and using their third-round pick (101st overall) on Jeremy Ruckert.
All three of those players are under contract through the 2024 season with Ruckert on his rookie contract through 2025.
New York tight ends collectively ranked 13th in receptions (80) and 17th in receiving yards (792) and touchdowns (five).
As was the case with the wide receiver play, New York tight ends had to work through a 15.5% inaccurate target rate, which was the fifth-highest rate in the league.
Conklin was second on the team with 87 targets last season, catching 58 passes for 552 yards and three touchdowns.
His 1.13 yards per route run was 33rd among all tight ends to run 100 or more pass routes, but 17.2% of his targets were also deemed inaccurate, which was the highest rate among all tight ends to have as many targets as Conklin did on the season.
Uzomah was used primarily in the run game, blocking on 49.5% of his snaps.
Ruckert only managed 46 offensive snaps as a rookie, something the team will surely look to extend in 2023.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Jets:
LT: Mekhi Becton/Duane Brown/Eric Smith
LG: Laken Tomlinson/Adam Pankey
C: Connor McGovern/Wes Schweitzer/Trystan Colon
RG: Alijah Vera-Tucker/Chris Glaser
RT: Max Mitchell/Cedric Ogbuehi/Greg Senat
Offensive line performance was a problem area once again for the Jets in 2022.
The team closed the season 21st in ESPN’s pass block win rate (57%) and 30th in run block win rate (69%).
At Pro Football Focus, they were 30th in collective pass-blocking grade and 27th in run-blocking grade as a team.
Health was a major thorn.
The only linemen to play in all 17 games for the Jets were Laken Tomlinson and Connor McGovern. The latter of which just re-signed with the team on April 24th. McGovern took every snap at center for the team in 2022.
They also lost guard Nate Herbig in free agency, who was fourth on the team in snaps played a year ago.
The Jets’ most frequently used offensive line combination was on the field for just 22.7% of the team’s snaps in 2022, which ranked 27th in the league in terms of continuity.
2020 first-round pick Mekhi Becton missed the entire season with a knee injury while 2021 first-round pick Alijah Vera-Tucker missed the final 10 games of the season due to a triceps injury.
This is a massive season for Becton, who is in the final year of his rookie contract.
The Jets do have the fifth-year option available before May 1st, which would be $13.5 million for 2024. Becton has played in just one game since his rookie season.
The Jets signed center Wes Schweitzer, who was 28th out of 39 qualifying centers per Pro Football Focus in 2022.
Schweitzer was only signed to a two-year deal worth $5 million, so there is room for added competition in the middle.
The Jets have solid bones here in Vera-Tucker, Becton, and Tomlinson should all be available to play. The question mark is at right tackle.
The team can throw veteran Duane Brown out there on the right side if Becton is good to go, but Brown will turn 38 this August and is only under contract for this season. Long term this is a position of need.
Paired with the potential the team does not pick up the option on Becton or he fails to stay on the field, offensive tackle is a point of emphasis.
The Jets selected Max Mitchell in the fourth round last season, who started five games at right tackle. Mitchell allowed a 6.3% pressure rate, which was 51st among tackles in 2022.
New York Jets Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the New York Jets, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 New York Jets Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Jets:
- Quinnen Williams
- Quinton Jefferson
- Solomon Thomas
- Tanzel Smart
- Isaiah Mack
- Marquiss Spencer
Headed into the final year of his rookie deal, Quinnen Williams has established himself as one of the best defensive linemen in the league.
He led the team with 12 sacks, the 11th most in the league and only behind Chris Jones among interior rushers. He joined Jones as a first-team All-Pro selection last year.
Looking for a long-term deal, Williams did not report to the voluntary offseason program. It makes sense for both sides to get a deal done over the summer.
The Jets brought in ex-Seahawks DT Quinton Jefferson after losing Sheldon Rankins in free agency.
Jefferson has been productive as a pass rusher in recent years, finishing with 5.5 sacks last season, but he is probably better suited for a rotational role.
New York also lost Nathan Shepherd, so bringing back Solomon Thomas on a one-year deal is important for the depth at this position.
The Jets missed out on both Fletcher Cox and Calais Campbell in free agency, suggesting they are looking to add a starter at this position.
It would not be a surprise if they target the defensive line early in the draft.
EDGE Depth Chart, Jets:
- Carl Lawson
- John Franklin-Myers
- Jermaine Johnson
- Michael Clemons
- Bryce Huff
- Bradlee Anae
There was speculation about Carl Lawson’s spot on the roster given his $15.7 million cap hit in the final year of his contract.
Robert Saleh definitively put those rumors to bed, however, and Lawson will be back to lead this group after notching seven sacks and 49 pressures in 2022.
Only 28 in June, there is reason to believe Lawson will be better another season removed from his Achilles injury.
John Franklin-Myers continued his solid play on the edge, finishing with five sacks, 51 pressures, and standing up well against the run.
He has three years left on his contract.
The No. 26 overall pick last year, Jermaine Johnson was limited to a rotational role as a rookie, recording 2.5 sacks in 312 defensive snaps.
Johnson taking a step forward would move this group from a solid one to one of the better in the league.
Both Bryce Huff and Michael Clemons were solid rotational players last season, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 2.5 sacks respectively.
Carl Lawson is in the final year of his deal, and it is not a given Johnson takes a major step forward.
Still, this does not look like a pressing need heading into the draft.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Jets:
- C.J. Mosley
- Quincy Williams
- Jamien Sherwood
- Hamsah Nasirildeen
- Chazz Surratt
Set to turn 31 in June, C.J. Mosley logged 158 tackles, 10 run stuffs, and seven passes defensed in 2022 on his way to a second-team All-Pro nod.
Mosley is under contract through 2024, but the team can save $11 million against the cap if they release him next offseason.
With Mosley’s long-term future uncertain, it was important for the Jets to retain Quincy Williams on a three-year, $18 million contract ahead of free agency.
Williams finished 2022 with 106 tackles, 12 quarterback pressures, and 16 run stuffs, which tied for ninth among all linebackers, on just 70 percent of the defensive snaps.
Kwon Alexander remains a free agent after playing on nearly 50 percent of the defensive snaps last season.
With Mosley getting older and nearing the end of his contract, it makes some sense for the Jets to replace Alexander with a rookie that can develop into a long-term starter.
Either way, they need to add someone to this room.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Jets:
- Sauce Gardner
- D.J. Reed
- Michael Carter II
- Brandin Echols
- Justin Hardee
- Bryce Hall
- Jimmy Moreland
- Craig James
The No. 4 overall pick last year, Sauce Gardner immediately established himself as one of the best corners in the league.
He finished first in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.56) among qualifying corners according to PFF and rightfully earned Defensive Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Pro honors.
Signed to a three-year, $33 million deal last March, D.J. Reed finished sixth in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.71).
That duo helped the Jets finish sixth in pass defense efficiency.
Michael Carter II played solid football behind Gardner and Reed, lining up in the slot on 90 percent of his snaps and finishing with nine passes defensed.
Brandin Echols struggled in a bigger role back in 2021, but he offers solid depth behind the locked-in starters.
This is the strongest position group on the team and one of the stronger in the league.
Safety Depth Chart, Jets:
- Chuck Clark
- Jordan Whitehead
- Tony Adams
- Will Parks
- Ashtyn Davis
The Jets sent a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for Chuck Clark ahead of free agency.
Clark is not a high-end starter, but he was a reliable player for the Ravens who should upgrade one of the weak spots on this defense.
Clark is entering the final year of his deal, so the Jets may look to work out an extension over the summer.
Entering the second year of a two-year deal, Jordan Whitehead struggled in his first season with the Jets and was even brought up as a possible cap casualty early in the offseason.
He particularly struggled as a tackler, finishing with the 10th-worst missed tackle rate (15.6%) among qualifying safeties according to PFF.
Nobody behind Clark and Whitehead stands out as a possible starting option.
The Jets could benefit from spending an early pick on a safety.