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Jets get left tackle of future in latest Draft Wire mock

Jets get left tackle of future in latest Draft Wire mock

Mock draft season is in full swing and with the Jets already out of the players and having just one game left to play this season, focus will start turning to the offseason and April’s draft.

The Jets are likely going to have a top-10 pick which means offensive tackle is very much in play. There are two strong candidates at the position in Joe Alt of Notre Dame and Olu Fashanu of Penn State.

Fortunately, in Curt Popejoy’s latest mock draft for Draft Wire, the Jets get one of them with the 9th overall pick.

Popejoy has Fashanu heading to New York to fill a position the Jets red to hammer hard this offseason after Mekhi Becton struggled in the second half of the season. The Jets will likely let him walk in free agency, allowing Fashanu to step right in and play from day one and help the Jets win now and in the future.

Breece Hall scores second touchdown as Jets continue to roll Commanders

Breece Hall now with a pair of touchdowns in the first half.

Breece Hall is having himself a day on Christmas Eve. After breaking out a 37-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, the Jets’ running back scored from two yards out in the second quarter, the first carry for a Jets back from inside the five this season, believe it or not.

Hall has over 120 total yards and is on his way to his first 100-yard rushing game since Week 5 against the Broncos. The Jets lead the Commanders as of this writing, 27-7.

Jets beef up tight end room in Dane Brugler’s first mock

The Jets get a key piece of Georgia’s potential three-peat national championship offense in Dane Brugler’s first mock draft of the season.

You know draft season really gets into full swing once Dane Brugler drops his first mock draft of the season. He did so this week and gave the Jets an offensive weapon for whoever is at quarterback in 2024. But it may come as a bit of a surprise.

When the draft season really gets going, most Jets fans will likely feel wide receiver is among the biggest needs. However, in Brugler’s first mock for The Athletic, the Jets go tight end, instead.

Of course, we’re not just talking about any tight end. We’re talking about Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, an extremely gifted tight end.

Bowers burst onto the scene as a freshman, making an immediate impact for the Bulldogs and being a key piece for Georgia’s two national championships and being in position for a potential three-peat.

Here’s what Brugler had to say about the pick:

Assuming the Jets are all in with Aaron Rodgers for the 2024 season, the team’s first-round pick likely will be an offensive player who can contribute from Day 1. Whether you line him up at tight end, wide receiver or a hybrid position, Bowers can be a difference-maker and quickly emerge as one of the Jets’ go-to weapons.

This season, Bowers has 51 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns. He has 26 total touchdown catches in his career, including 13 as a freshman. For comparison, Kyle Pitts — the highest drafted tight end ever at No. 4 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 — had 18 touchdowns while at Florida.

Bowers can be a chess piece for the Jets now and in the future. But this pick would certainly be with an eye on making a run in 2024 with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback. Regardless, the Jets need weapons and Bowers would be quite the weapon.

Aaron Rodgers to have MRI on ankle Tuesday

Aaron Rodgers to have MRI on ankle Tuesday

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have an MRI on his injured ankle on Tuesday, per Jordan Schultz.

Rodgers had X-rays on his ankle in the locker room and they came back negative. He left the room in a walking boot but remains in the building. Jets fans will be holding their breath all day Tuesday awaiting the results of the MRI as their season truly could hinge on what happens there.

Rodgers suffered the injury on the Jets’ fourth offensive play after a sack from Bills edge Leonard Floyd. He was helped off the field by trainers and taken to the blue medical tent. He then was carted to the locker room for X-rays.

Tuesday is now an extremely important day for the 2023 New York Jets.

Updated AFC East and Wild Card standings after Buffalo’s walk-off field goal to defeat Miami

Updated AFC East and Wild Card standings after Buffalo’s walk-off field goal

The weather wasn’t as bad as some forecasts had predicted, but there was still some snow in Buffalo Saturday. In the end, it was the Bills celebrating with snow angels after Tyler Bass’ walk-off field goal pushed Buffalo past the Miami Dolphins 32-29.

The win clinched a playoff spot for the Bills and kept them atop the AFC at 11-3. It also officially knocked the Jets out of contention in the division race, which was inevitable after the loss to the Bills in Week 14.

AFC East standings through games of Dec. 17

Buffalo Bills 11-3 (3-2 div. record)
Miami Dolphins 8-6 (2-2)
New England Patriots 7-6 (2-2)
New York Jets 7-6 (2-3)

The good news for the Jets is they now are closer to the Dolphins, who fell to 8-6 after their third straight loss. As a result, the Jets can climb back into second place in the division and back into a playoff spot on Sunday.

For that to happen, the Jets need to beat the Lions at home and then hope the Patriots lose in Vegas against the Raiders.

That would put the Jets at 8-6, the Dolphins at 8-6 and the Patriots at 7-7. New York’s Week 5 over Miami would give the edge. If all three teams end the week 8-6, the Patriots would take second place, followed by the Jets and then the Dolphins due to head-to-head. New England is 2-1 against the group, the Dolphins are 1-1 and the Jets are 1-2.

After that, you then go back to the Jets’ win over the Dolphins to give them third place.

So the bottom line is root for the Raiders today.

As far as the wild card race goes, two playoff contenders, including the Dolphins, lost Saturday. The Ravens also lost against the Browns, dropping them to 9-5 and giving the Bengals the division lead entering their game Sunday against the Buccaneers.

AFC Playoff Standings through games of Dec. 17

x-Buffalo Bills 11-3
Kansas City Chiefs 10-3
Cincinnati Bengals 9-4
Tennessee Titans 7-6
Baltimore Ravens 9-5
Miami Dolphins 8-6
New England Patriots 7-6

Los Angeles Chargers 7-6
New York Jets 7-6
Cleveland Browns 6-8
Jacksonville Jaguars 5-8
Las Vegas Raiders 5-8
Pittsburgh Steelers 5-8
Indianapolis Colts 4-9-1

The team to root for at this point here would be the Titans. As of now, the Jets have to get in front of the Chargers, who have a better conference record (LAC 5-4, NYJ 5-5). The Titans are unlikely to lose the AFC South race, despite their recent slump. The Jets will play a factor in that if they keep winning since they host the Jaguars on Thursday. So because of that, the Jets would likely prefer the Titans to win against the Chargers.

So, the simple rooting guide this week:

Jets over Lions
Raiders over Patriots
Titans over Chargers