No team in the NFL is perfect. Everyone needs better players or has positional issues to resolve. The Jets, unfortunately, are one of the teams with a plethora of needs.
The Jets need an infusion of talent at a variety of positions this offseason. The offensive line is the obvious No. 1 priority for Joe Douglas after an abysmal 2019 season in which the unit finished 28th in the NFL. Cornerback is another important position to target with Trumaine Johnson on his way out. Pass rusher, wide receiver, running back and kicker are the final four areas of concern for New York and should be a part of Douglas’ rebuilding plan.
But the Jets aren’t the only team in the hunt for players at those positions. The rest of the NFL will be vying for the top players and some have the money, draft capital or trade chips to pull it off. The Jets will need to look at the market as a whole before allocating significant cap space to any one position or player.
Here are the other teams in the NFL targeting the same needs as the Jets.
Offensive line
Joe Douglas will possibly need to replace the four starting linemen set to hit free agency this summer without even counting the other starters he could cut and the bench players he’ll need to play behind the starting five. He needs to find the right players to protect Sam Darnold, who’s 39 percent pressure rate ranks fourth-highest among quarterbacks over the past two seasons.
Luckily, the draft and free-agent market are rife with solid players ranging from expensive to risky to raw, and Douglas will be competing against teams that have the firepower to make a playoff push.
Other teams in need: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals
Cornerback
Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet were a revelation in 2019, but the Jets can’t rely on them to be studs in the secondary without help. Trumaine Johnson is getting cut, Brian Poole may not return and Darryl Roberts proved unable to be a viable starter. They’ll need experience and production in the secondary to keep opposing offenses from ripping them apart and help Jamal Adams in the deep secondary.
The Jets are reportedly looking at Byron Jones and James Bradberry, but there are concerns over the price and production for this free-agent class.
Other teams in need: Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals
Wide receiver
There’s no guarantee the Jets will re-sign Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa is a major question mark coming off his second neck injury. If neither return that leaves Jamison Crowder, Josh Bellamy, Braxton Berrios and Josh Doctson as the only Jets wideouts under contract.
That won’t be enough to stay competitive in the NFL and the Jets should be in the market for another wide receiver or two in the draft and free agency.
Other teams in need: New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, San Franciso 49ers, Arizona Cardinals
Edge rusher
For a team that loves to rush the quarterback, the Jets were bad at actually getting sacks. Gregg Williams loves blitzing so much he even used Jamal Adams as a pass rusher with lots of success. But in order to open up the rest of the defense, the Jets need consistent pressure – which they could lose if they don’t re-sign Jordan Jenkins.
The pass-rusher class is deep but expensive at the top. There’s a mix of top-tier edge players like Jadaveon Clowney and Dante Fowler with some sleeper rushers like Vinny Curry. There will be a lot of competition for this position considering how important quarterback pressure has become.
Other teams in need: Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams
Kicker
The Jets are once again looking for a kicker. Sam Ficken didn’t play well to end the season, which should spur a decision by Joe Douglas to find his replacement. Whether that’s in the draft or free agency, a reliable kicker will help the Jets pull off tight games. They just can’t overpay.
Other teams in need: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears
Running back
Le’Veon Bell is the unquestioned starter at running back but the Jets need help behind him. Trenton Cannon and Josh Adams are the only backs on the roster if the Jets don’t re-sign 31-year-old Bilal Powell or inconsistent rusher Ty Montgomery. That won’t work after watching Bell wear down at the end of the season.
It’s hard to gauge the backup running back market. Lots of teams have their entrenched bellcow but still incorporate other runners to spell the starter or provide a different skill set. The Ravens did it well in 2019 and the Eagles and Patriots always use lots of backs.
Other teams in need: Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
