The Jets won! And lost the first-overall pick in the process.
The Jets are now projected to pick second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Congratulations to the Jets players and coaches who have fought hard to convince NFL viewership that they are, in fact, not tanking on the season. Have to give credit where credit is due, they beat the brakes of the Rams — on the road! The Jets won 23-20, giving them their first win of the season in a season that was filled with blowout losses, competitive losses, and embarrassing losses.
Going 0-16 is probably the best thing for the Jets moving forward, but no player or coach who’s actually in the middle of these performances wants that to happen. The stink of an 0-16 season can’t be cleaned and the Jets almost finished with the third 0-16 season in NFL history. That locker room was actively trying to avoid that stink by any means possible. The Jets were so serious about winning this game that they decided to run for a touchdown on fourth and goal with Frank Gore, which they converted.
Shout out to the players and coaches for avoiding a disgrace that none of us would forget.
Jets fans, sorry.
With this win, the Jaguars officially take over the driver’s seat for the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Jaguars and Jets both own measly 1-13 records for the season, but since the Jaguars have a weaker strength of schedule than the Jets, they are now slated to pick first.
That means the Jets just missed out on Clemson superstar Trevor Lawrence, who will be the first pick in next April’s NFL Draft no matter which team is picking first overall. Lawrence is projected to be a transcendent talent at the quarterback position, one who can lock down a franchise quarterback role for years to come.
The Jets were oh so close to being able to draft him and potentially fixing their quarterback woes that have plagued the team for years. Instead, they ended up winning a meaningless game in a lost season. Now, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, BYU’s Zach Wilson, or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance are all strong consolation prizes, but none of them seem quite as promising as Lawrence.
To be so close to quarterback nirvana and to have it stripped away, that has to hurt. Just look at the replies to the Jets tweet announcing their win.
There still is a chance that Lawrence dons the Gotham Green next season. The Jaguars can feasibly win one of their upcoming games against the Bears or Colts. The Jets certainly can lose out against the Browns and Patriots.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t look like a likely path for Jets fans considering that the Jaguars got absolutely annihilated by the Ravens 40-14 and seem to have checked out on the rest of the season. What once felt like a guarantee now feels like a longshot.
One final parting gift from Adam Gase to Jets fans on his way out the door.