Because of the franchise brand, the Jets will not put Chris Godwin of the Buccaneers or Allen Robinson of the Bears in a free agency. Both elite recipients have been tagged.
And now the general manager of Jets, Joe Douglas, looking for a number 1 receiver?
Well, Pro Football Focus has published its latest predictions of where its 50 best free agents will land. Free agent # 1 (Lions recipient Kenny Golladay) goes to the Giants. Free agent # 5 (Texans recipient Will Fuller) goes to the Colts.
And the number 13 guy on this list (Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster receiver) goes to the Jets, who receive the third best receiver available (at least according to the PFF hierarchy).
The PFF predicts that the Jets will give Smith-Schuster a four-year contract, $ 68 million, with a guaranteed $ 35 million. And here’s the justification for this projection:
Smith-Schuster is one of the riskiest bets in this free agent class, and the Jets are rumored to have a significant interest in the wide receiver.
He produced the 16th best score received in the NFL playing mainly in the slot alongside Antonio Brown in 2017 and 2018 – his first two seasons in the league. After Brown left before the 2019 season, Smith-Schuster was expected to become the focal point of the attack.
This, however, was not the case. He struggled with the extra attention and struggled with injuries throughout the year, registering a disappointing 63.1 PFF. Things were a little better in 2020, with a PFF score of 70.0 which ranked in the bottom half of the league.
Smith-Schuster does not have to be a primary external receiver to become a WR1, but the fact that he failed to win there after AB’s departure does not favor him.
The Jets may also be in the mix for the Titans receiver Corey Davis, who is 14th on the PFF list. PFF designs it to land in Washington.
As for the other 50 best free agents from the PFF, the Jets are expected to re-sign cornerback Brian Poole (No. 41) and bring Steelers edge rusher Bud Dupree (No. 48) and Seahawks running back Chris Carson (No. 50)
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