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The New York Jets got a lot of praise for the way they approached the NFL draft a few weeks ago. Many pundits had them ranked in “B” to “B-plus” range.
The Jets got insurance for their shaky offensive line situation by selecting Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu in the first round and then trading up in the third round (they did not have a second-round pick) to select Malachi Corley out of Western Kentucky with the first pick of the third round. Not a bad start.
Then things got…weird.
Joe Douglas and co. spent two of the team’s next three selections on running backs. That’s two running backs within 40 selections of each other. I have heard it explained a few times why the Jets thought that was a good idea and for the life of me, I still don’t understand.
The Jets thought, despite having a bell-cow, do-it-all back in Breece Hall and fifth-round speedster in Izzy Abanikanda on the roster already, it was prudent for them to take Braelon Allen out of Wisconsin and Isaiah Davis out of South Dakota State.
Joe Douglas has drafted a running back every year he has overseen the Jets draft, and it’s worth noting that apart from Breece Hall, who he used a second round pick on, none of them are making any sort of relevant impact on any NFL roster, let alone the Jets roster.
The Jets took La’Mical Perine in 2020 (120th overall) Michael Carter in 2021(107th overall), Breece Hall in 2022 (36th overall), Izzy Abanikanda in 2023 (143rd overall) and now he took two players in 2024.
Did I miss a few NFL seasons somewhere recently where teams benefit from being a running back factory? I thought running backs were a dime a dozen in today’s NFL, not something to be coveted so much that it is the only position you draft every year. And if you are going to be a running back factory, shouldn’t you, I don’t know, draft more than one who is worth anything?
Well now they are here in a very crowded running back room. The question now becomes, what is the plan with the plethora of running backs in Nathaniel Hackett’s stable? Robert Saleh provided an update this week.
Despite adding multiple running backs this offseason #Jets HC Robert Saleh made it clear that @BreeceH is the ‘unquestioned bell-cow.’
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) May 3, 2024
Saleh said the plan is 20-25 touches per game + he added that the bell-cows nowadays in the #NFL don’t get 30+ touches ‘like it used to be.’… pic.twitter.com/qVAKN3GuJS
“I don’t know if [a] committee is the right word [for what they plan on doing this year], but you can only give these guys the ball so much, even the bell-cows. [They] get 20 to 25 touches, it’s not 30+ like it used to be,” Saleh explained. “But Breece is the unquestioned bell-cow but even then you’re still talking 20 to 25 touches.”
So, there you have it. Breece is still the main guy, and the rest are supplements. Nobody is taking meaningful touches away from Breece Hall.
Breece really has nothing to worry about when it comes to one of these rookies taking his spot. In reality, if the Jets don’t draft a player in the top 45 picks or sign a player as free agent, they really have no shot at starting for this organization. Not one player drafted after the 44th pick is a starter on the Jets offense (for the record, I’m going to keep using this information all off season because it is that ridiculous).
The Jets seem to be zigging when everyone else is zagging. That is usually a good thing until you look up and realize you haven’t made the playoffs in 13 years. Maybe try a zag or two.
More must-reads:
- Three offseason moves the Rams must make
- Jags reportedly mulling extension for Trevor Lawrence, but is that the right choice?
- The 'Super Bowl starting QBs' quiz
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