Jets general Joe Douglas wasn't shy on the trade front this offseason.
He traded for players, traded away players and swapped a lot of draft picks over the past few months. These moves included sending quarterback Zach Wilson and defensive end John Franklin-Myers to the Broncos in separate deals, acquiring offensive tackle Morgan Moses from the Ravens and trading for Eagles pass-rusher Haason Reddick. Douglas even tried to trade for wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (who eventually went to the Browns) and Keenan Allen (who went to the Bears).
The Jets traded five times during the 2024 NFL Draft. They moved back one spot in the first round with the Vikings to take offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, moved up seven spots in the third round for wide receiver Malachi Corley and then made three Day 3 picks to add more draft capital, including a 2025 third-round pick from the Lions.
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Out of all these moves, NFL.com's Tom Blair called the trade for Reddick among the most impactful for the 2024 season. He ranked it No. 7 on his list of 10, behind other high-profile moves such as the Titans' trade for L'Jarius Sneed, the Giants' trade for Brian Burns and the aforementioned Jeudy and Allen trades.
Let's not overcomplicate this one. Reddick is a pass-rushing mercenary, having compiled 50.5 sacks over the past four seasons while playing for three different teams (Arizona in 2020, Carolina in 2021, Philadelphia in 2022-23). The Jets needed a pass rusher after losing Bryce Huff, their sacks leader in 2023, to the Eagles in free agency. There's been plenty of turmoil in New York, but the defense — which ranked third overall and fifth in pressure rate last season — has been strong. It's in everyone's best interests for that to remain true as we wait to see if Aaron Rodgers, coming off an Achilles tear at age 40, can lift an offense that has finished 25th or worse in each of the past eight seasons. While another traded player, new offensive tackle Morgan Moses, will obviously have an important role there, plug-and-play sack production from Reddick should help keep things humming along on D.
The nominal Reddick-for-Huff swap with the Eagles is helpful for a Jets team that lacked cap space but couldn't afford to lose talent. Reddick will play a lot in Robert Saleh's defense alongside a stable of young pass rushers like Jermaine Johnson, Michael Clemson and 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald. The interior of the defensive line with Quinnen Williams and former 49ers first-rounders Javon Kinlaw and Solomon Thomas should provide some support as well.
Without this trade, the Jets would have been thin at experience on their pass-rusher. Huff was always going to leave because the Jets couldn't afford to keep him. That would have meant a big bump in snaps for McDonald and Clemson — two players without much to show for their NFL careers thus far. So with Reddick in tow, the Jets can return to business as usual with one of the best defenses in the NFL for the 2024 season.
