With the draft over, many of the questions surrounding the Jets have been answered. New York hopes its selections become the next stars on the team or at least become positive contributors.
But, the end of the draft also brings a set of new questions as the Jets head into the rest of the offseason. Mike Maccagnan didn’t solve every problem with his six selections. Some questions still need resolutions, while new issues have emerged as direct results of the draft.
Here are the four biggest questions surrounding the Jets after the draft.
What are they going to do about Darron Lee?
Darron Lee hasn’t been having a great offseason and it didn’t help that the Jets weren’t able to trade him during the draft. He’s currently behind the newly-signed C.J. Mosley and incumbent starter Avery Williamson without any real chance to improve his roster spot.
The Jets also drafted a player in Blake Cashman who fits a similar build as Lee, which won’t help his chances to find snaps on defense. Unless the Jets can find a trade partner before the season begins, Lee will likely spend most of his fourth season on the bench.
Did the Jets do enough to fix their pass rush?
One of the biggest defensive concerns heading into the 2019 season is the Jets pass rush. Though they finished middle-of-the-pack in sacks this past season, they didn’t sign any upgrades during free agency to elevate their defense.
However, adding defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and drafting Quinnen Williams and Jachai Polite could quickly change things. Williams and Polite have the potential to become dominant forces on defense, especially coupled with players like Leonard Williams, Henry Anderson, Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland.
What will the Jets offense look like?
The Jets only used two of their six picks on offensive players and neither tackle Chuma Edoga nor tight end Trevon Wesco figure to play key roles in building a potent offense. Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder are obviously huge additions that will make Sam Darnold’s life much easier, but it will take time for Darnold to mesh with his new weapons.
Even more concerning is the Jets offensive line. The Jets traded for two-time Pro Bowl guard Kelechi Osemele, but otherwise, the line looks identical to 2018 and their starting center will be nine-time Jets starter, Jonotthan Harrison. The offense should be vastly improved with added weapons and coach Adam Gase, but there’s no telling how quickly that improvement will come.
Who will be the Jets No. 2 cornerback?
Right now, Darryl Roberts is the Jets’ other outside cornerback across from Trumaine Johnson. Roberts had a solid 2018 campaign filling in for Johnson, but he was also plagued by inconsistency in coverage as well as a stint at safety.
The only other cornerbacks who conceivably start ahead of Roberts are free agent acquisition Brian Poole (who should start at slot), 2018 sixth-rounder Parry Nickerson (another slot corner) and Rashard Robinson. The others, including 2019 sixth-rounder Blessuan Austin (who could start on the PUP), aren’t likely to play big roles in the Jets secondary.
