Joe Douglas Gives Thoughts on New York Jets First-Round Draft Pick

With the No. 11 pick in the NFL draft, the New York Jets selected Olu Fashanu, an offensive tackle out of Penn State University.

The Jets traded the No. 10 pick to the Minnesota Vikings, allowing them to draft J.J. McCarthy.

After New York selected Fashanu, general manager Joe Douglas gave his thoughts about him to the media.

“Obviously, excited about Olu. Proven pass protector, left tackle. Feel like he can really develop and become an impact blocker for us moving forward.”

Douglas later said in his press conference that he views him as a left tackle moving forward after playing the position at Penn State.

Fashanu was regarded as one of the top offensive linemen in the draft, impressing during his four-year career with the Nittany Lions.

After the Jets saw early in the 2023 season that their offensive line wasn’t good enough to protect their quarterback and be a complete team, they revamped the unit. As currently constructed, if the line is healthy and Fashanu is the player everyone expects him to be, New York should have one of the better lines in football.

Protecting Aaron Rodgers is the main priority and Douglas understood that. While Brock Bowers was there for the taking, improving a unit that played a big part in the lack of success the team found in 2023 was a wise decision. Nearly every move this offseason has been to place a piece around Rodgers to help him succeed, something Douglas and the rest of the front office understood they needed after their offense was one of the worst in football.

During 2023, the Jets were sacked the fourth most in football at 3.8 times per game. No matter if it was Rodgers’ injury or the lack of a pocket presence from Zach Wilson, the line had to improve.