Knowing they have to be aggressive because of the window for Aaron Rodgers' career is on the verge of closing, the New York Jets are prepared to listen to what the star quarterback might have to say about what he wants them to do with their first pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
On the Saturday morning SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Jets are "all in for 2024" and would consider Georgia tight end Brock Bowerswith the No. 10 pick if Rodgers wants a tight end:
"He's the top tight end in the draft but it's hard to peg where he's going to go exactly because he's largely considered a top-10 type player but when I talk to teams, some of them are skeptical of whether he actually goes in that range or does he fall back to say the Colts at 15, the Bengals at 18? So, he'll go fairly high in the first round but he might not be that slam dunk, top-10 player. A lot depends on the Jets because they've got Aaron Rodgers, they are all in for 2024. So, if they're doing the long play they might take an offensive tackle or something that's not as sexy and play for the long future but they're all in now so if Rodgers wants a tight end, he might get his guy."
The Jets' free-agent signings indicate their primary motivation is to help Rodgers in 2024. They signed Tyron Smith, John Simpson and traded for Morgan Moses to boost their offensive line. Mike Williams was signed as a free agent to upgrade the receiver corps.
Smith and Williams are still very good when they play, but both of them are significant injury risks. Smith hasn't played more than 13 games in a season since 2015. Williams, who will turn 30 on Oct. 4, is coming off a torn ACL last season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas didn't specifically mention Bowers, but he brought up the value a top-tier tight end can have on an offense while speaking to reporters on Friday:
"If that tight end can become someone that turns into what Kansas City, San Francisco, what [Sam] LaPorta did last year in Detroit, those are dynamic weapons for your offense and guys that put a lot of stress on your defense because they can create mismatches. It's hard to put a linebacker on those guys. You put a DB on one of those guys and it creates a size mismatch. You put a safety on those guys, he better be able to run, he better be able to play man coverage. The right type of tight end can be a real weapon."
Bowers' stock appears to be trending upward as the draft gets closer. He's always been regarded as one of the best players in the class, but there are debates over the value of selecting a tight end early in the first round.
B/R's NFL scouting department has Bowers ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the draft, with Marvin Harrison Jr. the only player ahead of him.
NFL.com's Bucky Brooks cited Bowers as one of the biggest first-round wild cards because "tape absolutely backs up the buzz about his extraordinary talent and NFL potential."
Recent first-round tight ends like Kyle Pitts (No. 4 pick in 2021) and O.J. Howard (No. 19 pick in 2017) have failed to live up their pre-draft hype. Pitts did have 1,026 yards as a rookie, but he only has 1,023 yards in the two seasons since then.
Rodgers is famously very exacting about what he wants from his pass-catchers and won't always give them targets if he doesn't trust them. It would likely require a lot of work with Bowers during training camp and preseason to develop that trust, but the upside could be too tantalizing for the Jets to pass up.
The Jets have seemingly catered to Rodgers since before they even acquired him. They hired Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator and signed former Green Bay Packers receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb in free agency last offseason.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Rodgers consulted the front office on their first-round draft pick before the selection is made. If he makes the case for Bowers, there's no reason to think he won't be the choice when they are on the clock.