As has been the case for much of the post-Joe Namath era, the New York Jets need a franchise quarterback. Preferably, someone who can come in, avoid turnovers and other careless mistakes, and bring the Jets back to the postseason for the first time since their January 2011 AFC Championship Game loss.
You likely won’t be surprised to hear that Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling predicted that the Jets could earn the No. 3 pick and select a quarterback. However, it’s not LSU standout Garrett Nussmeier or Penn State’s Drew Allar, though Easterling does have both going in the first round.
Instead, Easterling predicted that the Jets would pick South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, a second-year starter and former three-star prospect. Sellers completed 29 of 45 passes (64.4%) for 431 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the Gamecocks’ first three games.
Sellers also rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, though it’s worth noting that sacks count against a quarterback’s rushing yards in college. Although Sellers isn’t the safest option, Easterling nonetheless suggested that the Jets “swing for the fences” to end their decades-old chase for a long-term quarterback.
“A big, athletic passer (6-3, 245) with a sky-high ceiling, Sellers is a dual-threat weapon who is still just scratching the surface of his potential,” Easterling wrote. “If he continues to develop throughout the season and improve his accuracy as a passer, the upside could be well worth a top-three selection.”
It might be a bit before Jets fans see Sellers at full speed after he left last Saturday’s loss to Missouri with a head injury. It is unclear if he’ll suit up for the Gamecocks against Vanderbilt this weekend.
The Jets are certainly no strangers to taking a quarterback in the first round. In fact, it’d be the third time in less than a decade that the Jets used a first-round pick on a quarterback; the team previously selected Sam Darnold (No. 3 in 2018) and Zach Wilson (No. 2 in 2021), neither of whom lasted more than three seasons in New York.
Justin Fields, himself a former first-round pick and noted dual-threat quarterback, started the Jets’ first two games. Fields completed 19 of 33 passes (57.6%) for 245 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. The Ohio State product also added 97 yards and two touchdowns on 5.7 yards per attempt, though he’s currently in concussion protocol and could miss the Jets’ Week 3 showdown with the 2-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tyrod Taylor is the only other quarterback on the Jets’ active roster. Brady Cook, a three-year starter at Missouri, signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent and is currently on the practice squad.