The Jets Winning Is A Win – Win

It's easy to look at the Jets' stunning victory over the Rams and be disappointed that Gang Green likely cost themselves the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft but it looks like a win to me in more than one way. The belief is that Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is a "sure thing" and must draft with the top pick but that's far from guaranteed and the Jets needs sadly run far deeper than QB. Sliding to the second overall spot provides the Jets with something they need more than any one position, options. With the top pick, you almost HAVE to take Lawrence whether you want him or not, now you have the freedom to maneuver.

Let's start with the options this provides at QB:

Keep Sam Darnold. At 23 years old with the fourth year of his rookie contract and an option for fifth, there's still time to see if Darnold can live up to the promise that made him the third overall pick in 2018.

Take the other QB. Ohio State's Justin Fields is a highly coveted dual-threat athletic QB that could end up being just as good if not better than Lawrence.

Make a play to trade up to the top pick. The Jets have the Seahawks first-round picks for 2021 plus 2022 and Sam Darnold. Packaging Darnold along with the Jets and Seahawks first-round picks for the next two drafts might be enough to get you, Trevor Lawrence if you truly believe he's a generational QB.

There are other QBs in this draft. With all the holes in the Jets roster, you could keep the picks you have as well as trade Darnold and draft many impact players as well as a guy like Florida's Kyle Trask later in the first round.

Now that you have flexibility at QB you also have flexibility at Head Coach. You can entice a new coach with the QB of his choice:

Hire a new coach and pair him with whatever QB his little heart desires including keeping Darnold if that looks like a good pairing.

(Don't freak out) You could decide that a combination of 2020, COVID-19, and Gregg Williams made it impossible for Adam Gase to succeed and give him one more year. This sounds insane but the partnership of Gase and Darnold with a new group of assistant coaches and GM Joe Douglas adding talent could maybe work. Even if that is a huge longshot.