Jets 2024 NFL Draft grades: How experts view New York’s class | Sporting News

The Jets drafted seven players in the 2024 NFL Draft to fill a variety of needs and positions. General manager Joe Douglas also made a litany of trades throughout the entire draft to move around the board to pick up draft capital as needed or get in the position to add the player the team wanted.

While the Jets may not have added any immediate starters, the players New York picked should see roles on all sides of the ball in 2024 and beyond. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers should be happy as well after the Jets leaned into offense for the majority of the draft and picked up an offensive tackle, wide receiver and two running backs. New York even brought in quarterback Jordan Travis as a potential long-term replacement for Rodgers.

Jets’ 2024 NFL Draft class: Penn State OT Olu Fashanu, Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley, Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen, Florida State QB Jordan Travis, South Dakota State RB Isaiah Davis, CFL CB Qwan’Tez Stiggers, Alabama S Jaylen Key

With the 2024 draft officially in the books, here’s what NFL experts had to say about the Jets’ class:

2024 NFL DRAFT: Full list of picks | Winners & losers

Expert grades for Jets’ draft class

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: B

The Jets maintained an offensive theme for GM Joe Douglas with the intent of making Aaron Rodgers’ Year 2 much more promising once he’s ready to go again. Fashanu gives them a tackle contingency for aging additions, while Corley and Allen fit well playing off Garrett Wilson as a receiver and Breece Hall as a runner. Travis was a good developmental add behind Rogers and Tyrod Taylor. Stiggers gives them a pro-ready corner from the CFL, to boot. Pretty good for New York, even minus volume.

Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports: B-

The Jets didn’t have a ton of draft capital to work with, but they still found some quality players, including a potential franchise tackle in Olu Fashanu from Penn State. He’ll be a fixture up front for a long, long time if the injury issues from last season don’t reappear. Wideout Malachi Corley will make fans happy early with his ability to run after the catch and Braelon Allen is a talented running back to develop behind Breece Hall. The trade up for QB Jordan Travis was baffling, but that was in the fifth round so no need to ding too much in the grand scheme of things.

Pete Prisco, CBS: B-

By taking tackle Olu Fashanu, the Jets did the right thing. But it sure didn’t look like an all-in move for Rodgers since Fashanu is going to likely sit for a year. Corley will be a nice pick, but this wasn’t a great draft for immediate help. 

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: B

Round 1 was always going to be a delicate balance for Jets GM Joe Douglas, who had to balance his team’s short-term championship window alongside 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the long-term vision of building a sustainable contender. He needed to add a player who could be a star both now and later, someone who could make a significant contribution as a rookie. That’s why I thought offensive tackle might be a tough sell to Rodgers — and to fans — at No. 10. New York added Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses in March to man those spots in 2024, and a rookie might have to be the swing tackle or move inside to guard for a year.

Instead, Douglas stuck to his board and got his guy with Olu Fashanu (11), a prototypical left tackle who can be Smith’s replacement in 2025. It wasn’t the flashiest pick, but if Fashanu can hit his ceiling, he could be a stellar player at a premium position for a decade.

Malachi Corley (65) had 29 receiving touchdowns over the past three seasons and makes cornerbacks look silly after the catch. The Jets took two running backs in Braelon Allen (134) and Isaiah Davis (173), who will duke it out to be Breece Hall’s backup. Allen is my fifth-ranked back in the class, while Davis lands at No. 10.

Qwan’tez Stiggers (176) is one of the most fascinating picks in the entire draft. He became the third player in the common draft era (since 1967) to be selected without attending college and the first CFL player with no college experience to be drafted. And he can play, too. Quarterback Jordan Travis (171) was tremendously productive at Florida State. Could he be stashed as the Jets’ third QB behind Tyrod Taylor this season?

Douglas also executed several trades throughout the weekend, maneuvering up and down the board, including a deal for the Lions’ 2025 third-rounder. Corley might be the most important pick of this class in the short term, as I could see him having a role in 2024. Douglas did a nice job getting value throughout.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B+

Even after picking up veteran tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses this offseason, the Jets selected Fashanu to help protect Aaron Rodgers. They spent their second-rounder on Rodgers last year and moved up for the tough-running Corley to improve the talent surrounding the future Hall of Famer.

The Jets did well picking up a 2025 third-rounder for one of their fourth-round selections. Adding in the big, nimble Allen to the backfield behind Breece Hall and Israel Abanikanda makes sense given how injuries have impacted depth at the position. I projected the Jets to bring in productive team leader Travis on Day 3, so trading up for him in the fifth wasn’t surprising. Stiggers is a fantastic story, coming through the CFL to the NFL, and a competitive athlete outside.

Nate Davis, USA TODAY: B

For a team with a win-now mandate, might it have made more sense to take Georgia TE Brock Bowers at No. 11 and add to the offensive line depth – given its eminent availability in this draft – later? TBD. But coming away with Penn State All-American LT Olu Fashanu in the first round and Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley in the third could also be a winning combo given the latter’s ability to make an immediate splash as a pure playmaker between WRs Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams.

Fourth-round RB Braelon Allen (Wisconsin) and fifth-round QB Jordan Travis (Florida State) and CB Qwan’tez Stiggers (Toronto Argonauts) are the kind of mid-rounders who have the talent to pay off very handsomely. Though the (tarnished) silver lining of Rodgers’ Achilles injury last season was the Jets’ retention of their 2024 first-round pick, this season will decidedly determine if he was worth what they surrendered, including this year’s Round 2 slot. And give Douglas credit as the Fashanu pick and deal to get a third-rounder in 2025 are the moves of a GM operating as if he’ll be on the job a year from now … though unloading DL John Franklin-Myers to Denver for a 2026 sixth-rounder was baffling.

 Matt Verderame, Sports Illustrated: A-

The Jets deserve credit. They could have made the flashy pick of a pass catcher in the first round, but instead took a top-three tackle in a loaded class with Fashanu. Then, in the third round, New York found its receiver in the 215-pound Corley. The Jets are trying to build a contender around the aging Aaron Rodgers and this class did a nice job of helping that cause.