The Jets have been constructing towards this second since November. That’s when proprietor Woody Johnson fired basic supervisor Joe Douglas and everybody knew the staff would have a unique route in 2025.
After launching an exhaustive seek for a brand new basic supervisor and interviewing 16 candidates, the Jets employed Darren Mougey.
Now, Mougey is on the clock.
There are lots of jobs for the GM of an NFL staff, however the draft defines a GM’s legacy.
Get it proper and also you’re a genius.
Blow it and also you received’t have the job for lengthy.
Mougey will get his first crack on the draft on Thursday evening.
The Jets maintain eight picks on this draft, and their first is the No. 7 total choice.
What Mougey ought to do with that choose has been the topic of debate for months.
He gave the usual GM reply this week when requested about his method.
“I think you want to go into the draft just adding good football players that are going to help your team win,” Mougey mentioned. “Now and in the future. You can’t just have this narrow focus right now, you got to look long term, but I feel good about where we’re at in April.”
Mougey, 40, inherited a staff that went 5-12 final yr and has not made the playoffs since 2010.
The Jets haven’t had a profitable season since 2015.
They went for it during the last two years with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and 2025 appears like a reset.
The most important holes for Mougey to fill are at proper deal with, tight finish, large receiver and defensive deal with. He received’t be capable to fill all of these on the primary two days of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The highest choose appears like a selection between a deal with — Armand Membou of Missouri, Will Campbell of LSU and Kelvin Banks of Texas are the highest selections — and Penn State tight finish Tyler Warren, who would give the Jets offense one other playmaker to pair with Garrett Wilson.
If the Jets go protection, Michigan defensive deal with Mason Graham might be the choice if he’s nonetheless obtainable.
The Jets had been conservative in free company after signing quarterback Justin Fields to a $40 million contract. Most of their different strikes weren’t big-name free brokers.
The draft is absolutely the place new coach Aaron Glenn and Mougey can put their stamp on the roster.
“We’re looking for smart, tough, aggressive, and resilient players,” Glenn mentioned in February. “We’re going to do everything we can to find those guys, and listen, you can find them in all different spots, small schools, big-time schools, trades, wherever we can find them we’re going to try to bring them on this team.”
One of many questions concerning the Jets’ selection of Glenn and Mougey is whether or not it might have been smarter to rent somebody with extra expertise for at the very least one of many positions.
Each males are of their roles for the primary time.
“I’m not worried at all that it’s both of our first roles, we’re both experienced in the league, we’ve had a lot of experience, and AG has experience as a scout as well, and we have good people around us, so no, I’m not concerned about it being the first time,” Mougey mentioned.
Mougey, who rose via the ranks as a scout in Denver, admitted there will likely be a unique really feel being within the huge chair for the draft.
“I’m sure there’ll be some nerves, and it’s definitely different being one that gives suggestions, and then one that makes a decision, right?” Mougey mentioned Monday. “That’s a different feeling, but I feel really good about the work we’ve put in to this point, and we’ve just been so detailed and worked so hard about building the board, and we’ll continue to work through some scenarios and strategy planning these next few days, but I feel really confident about where we’ll be at, the support group around me to make those decisions, and feel really comfortable about the draft.”
