Many mock drafts have the Jets selecting an edge rusher with the No. 7 pick, but none have them using it to land star prospect Abdul Carter.
However, can we truly rule out New York somehow drafting Carter, whom many consider the top prospect in the class?
Carter, a candidate to go first overall to the Tennessee Titans, is dealing with a foot injury that was discovered during a medical evaluation this week at the NFL scouting combine. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but recent reports indicate the Penn State product won’t require surgery.
“After consulting with doctors again this morning, the plan is for Abdul Carter to work out at his Pro Day and not have surgery,” NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport wrote Thursday on the X platform. “He has reported no pain for what is a small stress reaction in his foot. The belief is, despite the scare, he should be ok.”
That’s an encouraging update, but it should be taken with a grain of salt. We can’t rule out Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, sugarcoating his client’s situation with the draft under two months away.
Nevertheless, Carter’s injury opens the door for speculation about his draft stock.
It’s hard to envision him sliding all the way to the Jets with the seventh-overall pick. But what if, say, he slides to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5, thus creating a more palatable trade-up opportunity for New York?
That said, the Jets should probably only consider trading up for one of the top quarterbacks, although it’s debatable whether Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward deserve to be taken within the top six. But if New York tabs either as its ideal Aaron Rodgers replacement, it shouldn’t hesitate to move up a few spots.
At the end of the day, drafting Carter, who racked up 12 sacks and 24 tackles for a loss last season, is a pipe dream for the Jets. But his surprising injury makes that dream a bit more realistic.
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