Six winners from the Jets roster in the 2024 NFL Draft

Some players come out ahead.

The 2024 NFL Draft is now complete. Let’s take a look at the current members of the Jets roster who are most likely to benefit or be hurt by the players the Jets selected.

Winners

Aaron Rodgers: There are some unconfirmed reports that Rodgers preferred the Jets to pick a playmaker with the tenth overall pick, but I have a feeling he could end up very happy that the Jets selected Olu Fashanu. Rodgers is entering a different stage of his career. At 40 and coming off an Achilles injury, he will likely need to play from the pocket to a greater degree than he has at any point of his career. The days of breaking left and right to evade the rush are largely over. The Jets need to build a sturdy line in front of Rodgers to keep him upright. Tyron Smith is a high upside signing, but he has an extensive injury history. Fashanu if nothing else should prevent the left tackle spot from turning into a catastrophe if and when Smith has to miss time.

Will McDonald: It wasn’t technically part of the NFL Draft, but the trade of John Franklin-Myers opens up snaps for McDonald to take a role on the defense as the third end behind Haason Reddick and Jermaine Johnson. The Jets rotate defensive ends enough that the third end gets extensive playing time. That isn’t true of the fourth end spot which McDonald occupied prior to the trade. If nothing else it’s nice to see the Jets aren’t burying last year’s first round pick on the bench.

Jeremy Ruckert: All of the buzz about the Jets coveting Brock Bowers fizzled out in the first round of the NFL Draft. That is good news for Ruckert, who is currently slated to be the second tight end behind Tyler Conklin. The second tight end has a role of some significance on offense. The third tight end role, which Ruckert occupied his first two seasons, does not. Bowers would have sent him back there.

Zach Kuntz: Another tight end, whether Bowers or later in the Draft, would likely have had implications for Kuntz as well. There isn’t necessarily a clear path to the roster for Kuntz anyway, but his path would have become more precarious with a highly selected player or even a new late round project.

Tony Adams/Chuck Clark: There was a small amount of buzz about the Jets potentially looking at the safety position on late day two or early day three. A player the Jets drafted in that range might have given the projected starters a push. No more.