We’re just two weeks into the 2020 NFL season, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a team more visually unpleasant than the New York Jets.
After letting Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen shred them in Week 1, the Jets got stomped by an injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers team in Week 2, looking like they didn’t belong on the field with anyone the Niners sent out there.
That’s obviously led to a handful of folks already proclaiming, “Well, at least they might get the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of this.” That presumably means the opportunity to select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, one of the most heralded prospects in years.
Unfortunately, even a prospect as good as Lawrence, at the game’s most important position, can’t and won’t fix all that ails this franchise.
Jets fans know this, even if some may not admit it right away.
Sam Darnold has had his struggles, to be sure. But given what’s he’s been surrounded with since taking over as the Jets’ starting quarterback, it’s hard to blame him. Personnel moves have been questionable, coaching has been cringe-worthy, and his supporting cast has left much to be desired.
There are reasons for hope, such as the early performance we’ve seen from left tackle Mekhi Becton, the team’s top pick in the 2020 draft.
But this team needs so much help, both on the field and on the headsets, that drafting Lawrence could make little difference in the team’s overall success without addressing a laundry list of other issues that will still need to be fixed, no matter who is lining up behind center.
The Jets may indeed end up with next year’s top pick, but you could make a strong argument that they’d be better off selling it to the highest bidder and using the return to build a better team around Darnold than spending that selection on his replacement.
