What Will the New York Jets do at Wide Receiver?

With the latest blockbuster trade that saw Amari Cooper being sent to the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets saw another potential option being taken off the table. Despite this, they still have a number of paths to take in regards to helping out Zach Wilson in his development as a young quarterback. With that being said, the question remains: What will the New York Jets do at wide receiver?

1. Go Get a Proven Veteran

Some names to watch in free agency include Allen Robinson… and a bunch of lower-tier guys. To be frank, Robinson is likely the only high-tier receiver on the market, and if they aren’t able to lure him to Florham Park, they may have to be fine with investing high draft capital in the NFL Draft.

If they do miss out on Robinson, re-signing Braxton Berrios or going after a player of a similar caliber would be almost necessary. In this situation, their receiving core would still be better than it was in 2021, but there would still be work to do.

2. Spend a High Pick in the Draft

If they decide to spend big elsewhere in free agency, Joe Douglas and Co. could decide to spend a high pick on a receiver. With the fourth and tenth pick in the draft, they could go get a guy like Garrett Wilson, Drake London, or even Treylon Burks.

Any of these guys add another dimension to the offense that fans haven’t seen since the days of Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. A receiving core of any of those three-plus Corey Davis and Elijah Moore would give Wilson three legitimate pass catching threats.

3. Wait Until Day 2 of the Draft

If the Jets decide that receiver isn’t a huge priority, (it should be), they might wait until the second round of the draft, or even later. This receiver class is not only really good at the top, but is very deep. After those top three guys mentioned earlier, there are receivers like Jahan Dotson, Chris Olave, Jamison Williams, Skyy Moore and Christian Watson that could go in the second round.

While they likely won’t go with this plan of attack, it would be very interesting if they did, and it would not be a good interesting.

4. Use the Premium Draft Picks to Acquire a Proven Entity

Perhaps what Jets fans want the most is for Douglas to make an aggressive trade. The most common name thrown around right now has to be D.K. Metcalf, but will the Seattle Seahawks actually be willing to move him?

Reportedly, they have been taking calls from teams inquiring about him, and it does look like they will have to start rebuilding with Russell Wilson now with the Denver Broncos. Will Douglas be willing to part with a top pick to get a guy like Metcalf? He is only 24, and since 2019 he is third amongst NFL receivers with 29 touchdowns.

Calvin Ridley was another name being thrown around this offseason, but his recent suspension has taken him completely off the table.

Douglas should do anything he can to get him, especially considering his presser at the NFL Combine where he discussed trading draft picks for proven players. This would be a great way to follow through on this statement.

And those are the available avenues to improving the ever-important wide receiver position for the New York Jets. Whichever path they decide to take, they must go with the intention of helping Wilson develop into the star quarterback he was projected to be.