Expectations are high for the New York Jets entering the 2023 season following the addition of Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. The Athletic held a poll by NFL executives ahead of the upcoming season and they believe the Jets are the seventh-best team in the AFC.
There were six executives polled in the article and the average placement of the Jets was 7.17. The highest an executive ranked the Jets was fifth, while the lowest they were ranked was ninth.
The six teams that were ranked ahead of the Jets were the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Buffalo Bills, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Los Angeles Chargers. None of the executives ranked the Jets ahead of the Bills, so few expect New York to win the AFC East in 2023.
Acquiring Rodgers was a massive upgrade under center for the Jets, and the team also added Dalvin Cook, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Randall Cobb to an offense that already featured Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. The one major concern for the Jets on the offensive side of the ball is the offensive line.
As for the defense, they’re expected to be an elite unit again in 2023 after adding rookie Will McDonald IV to a group with Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and C.J. Mosley. While there is a ton of buzz around the Jets this season, executives don’t envision New York finishing atop the AFC in 2023.