FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1. A present for Rodgers? In 16 seasons as a starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers never has been gifted a first-round pick at wide receiver or tight end -- a rather mind-boggling streak. It could end Thursday in the NFL draft (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App).
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is the odds-on favorite to be selected by the Jets with the 10th overall pick, according to ESPN draft experts.
Likewise, the Bowers buzz in the scouting community is loud, with many expecting the Jets to pair Rodgers with the talented playmaker. General manager Joe Douglas referred to Bowers as a "Swiss Army knife," saying "the right type of tight end can be a real weapon." In that vein, he mentioned the Detroit Lions' Sam LaPorta, who dazzled as a rookie last year with 86 catches, 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Here's what we're hearing: The Jets could pick a wide receiver in the unlikely event that one of the top three falls to 10. They're also interested in offensive tackles, with Notre Dame's Joe Alt, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga and Washington's Troy Fautanu thought to be their top preferences. Alt probably will be off the board, so the choice could come down to Bowers versus their OT2.
Daniel Jeremiah, who worked alongside Douglas as a Baltimore Ravens scout and now works as an analyst for NFL Network, said his "gut" tells him that Douglas would pick Bowers over a lineman.
And he's not the only one who likes the move.
"I don't think Brock Bowers makes it [to the Jets], but if he does, I'm not taking any phone calls," former Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik said. "I'm just sending the card up."
2. Rare company: Rodgers threw touchdowns to 47 different players during his time with the Green Bay Packers. Remarkably, only one of those players was drafted in the first round -- tight end Marcedes Lewis, a former Jacksonville Jaguars pick. Wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams could join Lewis on the list.
3. Trade watch: A trade up can't be ruled out, considering Douglas' aggressive background. The spot to watch is No. 8, held by the Atlanta Falcons, who want defense and probably can get a top defender in a lower slot. Don't be surprised if the Jets leapfrog the Chicago Bears (No. 9) to grab a wide receiver, or possibly, a lineman if Alt slips. The Bears have been linked to Washington receiver Rome Odunze.
4. QB or not to QB? It sounds like Douglas is serious about adding a quarterback on Day 3, saying he'd love to create "a quarterback factory" like the Packers did the 1990s, which allowed the franchise to parlay successful late-round picks into future draft capital.
The dream is to find a late-round gem -- see: San Francisco 49ers budding star Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant in 2022. The Jets hold the final pick in the draft (No. 257 overall), but the odds of finding the next Purdy are about the same as finding treasure in the Hudson River.
The Jets hosted at least three quarterbacks on pre-draft visits -- Michael Pratt (Tulane), Jordan Travis (Florida State) and Michael Hiers (Samford). Each one is a Day 3 candidate. Draft analysts also mentioned Devin Leary (Kentucky) and Joe Milton III (Tennessee) as possibilities. Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) is projected as a Day 2 pick.
"I do think this is the year where you can do that, where you can make the argument, 'Let's grab a guy in the sixth or seventh round and try to catch lightning in a bottle,'" ESPN analyst Matt Miller said on "The Flight Deck" podcast. "Worst-case scenario: You at least feel better about the quarterback room when/if Zach Wilson is moved."
Douglas hasn't had much luck drafting quarterbacks. Wilson (first round, 2021) hasn't panned out, and James Morgan (fourth round, 2020) is out of the league.
5. Stuck in limbo: Folks around the league are watching how the Jets handle the Wilson situation. They don't have a good reputation for developing quarterbacks, and now you have to wonder if top-tier prospects, empowered with NIL cash in the bank, will think twice in the future before interacting with the Jets during the pre-draft process.
It has to be frustrating for Wilson, who has been on the trading block since February. The Jets are holding out, waiting for a team willing to pick up a chunk of his $5.5 million salary.
6. Looking for clues: The Jets held visits with at least six prospects who could be picked in the top half of the first round -- Bowers; wide receivers Odunze and Malik Nabers (LSU); and offensive linemen Alt, Fautanu and JC Latham (Alabama). Recent history suggests the visits usually reflect which positions they might draft.
7. Sole survivor: The recent re-signing of safety Ashtyn Davis (one year, $2.7 million) prevented the 2020 draft class from being wiped out. He's the only one of the nine picks on the roster.
8. Safety dance: Safety remains a need for the Jets, even with Davis, Tony Adams and Chuck Clark. They're showing interest in Washington State's Jaden Hicks, arguably the top safety, but he might not make it until the third round. The Jets' second-round pick (No. 41) belongs to the Packers from the Rodgers trade. There should be a handful of third-round options.
9. Did you know? This will be the Jets' eighth top-10 pick since 2015, tied with the New York Giants for the most in the league, assuming both teams stay in the top 10.
10. Man behind the logo: Former Jets video director Jim Pons, 81, toured the world several times as a guitar player in the 1960s rock band The Turtles, who recorded the smash hit "Happy Together." These days, he's known for another hit.
The Jets' new helmet logo, which was unveiled this week.
It was Pons who designed the "jet plane" logo in the late 1970s. Used on helmets from 1978 to 1997, it was brought back by popular demand in a modernized version. It's part of the Jets' "Legacy Collection" -- a new helmet and new uniforms that pay homage to the New York Sack Exchange era.
Pons said he's thrilled that his design is back, saying in a phone interview, "I was proud then to see that it was used, and I'm proud now. It still looks good."
In the 1970s, the Jets solicited outside companies to design the logo. Pons took a crack at it, winning approval from the team's hierarchy. Before that, he was a different kind of artist, capping his early rock-and-roll career as a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention.
He worked for the Jets from 1973 to 2000, starting out as an office assistant whose responsibilities included polishing the Super Bowl trophy once a week and mailing out Joe Namath posters. He moved to the equipment staff, then landed the video director position even though he didn't know how to use a camera.
"I told [coach] Weeb Ewbank that they called me 'Cecil B. DeMille Jr.' in Hollywood," said Pons, a Los Angeles native who learned quickly about the world of video.