On March 25, NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell ordered all 32 teams to close down their facilities for two weeks due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
While a minute problem in the grand scheme of things, this has impacted teams and the league as everyone prepares for the draft. The NFL already announced that an in-person draft in Las Vegas will not take place as planned, but will instead be done virtually. Rather than postponing the festivities, the NFL is looking to stay in the limelight and stick to its schedule.
With that, several teams are uncertain about what their draft plans will look like from a logistics point of view. That includes the Jets. Speaking on a conference call Wednesday afternoon, Joe Douglas said that the Jets have not decided where they would conduct the draft if they’re not allowed back in the team’s facility in time for the draft, which begins April 23.
Still, the general manager expects that his team and front office will be ready for the draft. Douglas said that the Jets are still conducting all draft meetings, but they’re doing it virtually with coaches and personnel staff.
For now, the draft must go on, according to the NFL. It seems more than likely that the Jets will have to make contingency plans for their draft set up, though.