The New York Jets crashed and burned in 2024, which turned out to be the final year in town for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, head coach Robert Saleh, and GM Joe Douglas. The 2024 NFL Draft illustrated some of the problems this regime had when it came to adding young talent.
The draft always seemed to go the same way for Douglas, outside of the 2022 lottery ticket win. While he was usually able to land one high-end starter at a key position, his inability to consistently bring in good depth contributed to his downfall in New York.
With the 2025 NFL Draft coming up very soon, new head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey need to look back on past Douglas drafts, figure out what went wrong, and avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Re-grading the New York Jets’ 2024 NFL Draft class
Round 1, Pick 11: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
Fashanu started off poorly at right tackle, but he quickly looked like his old, dominant self when he switched back to left tackle. Fashanu gives the Jets some security at the most important offensive line position. If he improves his run blocking, this could go from a good pick to a great one, even after passing on Brock Bowers.
Grade: B+
Round 3, Pick 65: Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
Corley was playing on a team in dire need of offensive creativity and good wide receiver play, and he was jumped on the depth chart by special teams players like Irv Charles. Corley had just five touches from scrimmage, one of which was his infamous drop and fumble at the one-yard line. Remember, Douglas had him ranked higher than Brian Thomas Jr.
Grade: F
Round 4, Pick 134: Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
Allen’s yards per carry fell to a concerning 3.6 per tote, but he played most of his rookie year at 20 years old. A powerful runner between the tackles, Allen heads into 2025 as a solid power complement to Breece Hall that Glenn will lean on.
Grade: B-
Round 5, Pick 171: Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State
Travis hasn’t even practiced with the team due to an injury sustained at the end of his college career. Heading into the year as QB3, Travis may never play a down for the Jets.
Grade: Incomplete
Round 5, Pick 173: Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State
Davis tallied 5.8 yards per carry last season, even managing to eat into Allen’s workload at the end of the year. Davis gives the Jets a legitimate three-headed monster in the backfield, as there’s enough potential there for new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand to work with.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 176, Qwan’tez Stiggers, CB, Toronto Argonauts
Stiggers mostly played special teams last season and did a generally passable job. He was drafted to be cornerback depth, and he filled that role with enough aplomb to stick around for Year 2.
Grade: C+
Round 7, Pick 257: Jaylen Key, SAF, Alabama
Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Key was cut after the preseason and released from the practice squad in October. He is currently on the Bengals’ practice squad.
Grade: F