EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Ready, set, Joe!

Locked into the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas is on the clock for the next four months. There won't be any suspense at No. 1, unless something goes haywire with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence, which means the draft starts with the Jets.

Instead of building around the Clemson quarterback, which would have been a no-brainer for the Jets' franchise, Douglas will face a multiple-choice challenge in his second draft at the helm. It's impossible to predict what will happen because there are many unknowns, including the identity of the head coach, but this sets up as a "quarterback-or-not" decision.

Here's a closer look at his options:

Start over at quarterback: There's a gap between Lawrence and the next-best quarterback, which could be Ohio State's Justin Fields or BYU's Zach Wilson, depending on your taste. Others could push their way into the conversation, most notably North Dakota State's Trey Lance. In other words, there might not be a consensus No. 2 choice by draft day, which means scheme and individual preference will be bigger scouting factors than usual.

If Douglas is convinced one of them will be a franchise quarterback, he must draft him and trade Sam Darnold. That might sound harsh, but that's the reality. He knows what he has in Darnold, whose record is 9-15 since the GM arrived in New York in June 2019.

Darnold's play has ranged from poor/turnover-prone to workmanlike/game manager, as his production level hasn't caught up to his physical talent. He's riding a three-game streak with no turnovers, the longest of his pro career. That's certainly a positive way to end the season, but some of it is because he's on a tight leash -- only 26, 31 and 32 pass attempts in those games. Coach Adam Gase has changed the way he's calling games, reducing the burden on Darnold.

If the Jets hire a coach who wants to operate a high-octane passing attack, it behooves them to draft a quarterback who can play that style. Douglas has the final call on the draft, but he will seek input from the coach. If the coach doesn't want to attach himself to Darnold, who has one year left on his rookie contract, it's time to move on.

Draft the best non-quarterback: It's been a long time since the Jets were in this position. You have to go back to 1997, when they owned the No. 1 pick but decided to trade back twice before taking linebacker James Farrior. (In the process, they passed on two tackles who wound up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones.) In 1996, they stayed put at No. 1 and selected wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.

With the No. 2 pick, the Jets would have their choice of elite wide receivers, including Alabama's DeVonta Smith or LSU's Ja'Marr Chase. Put one of them with Jets wideouts Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder, and you're talking about a balanced and explosive receiving corps for Darnold. Mims shows promise for a rookie, but he's not a true WR1. His production has dipped in recent weeks as opponents have developed better scouting reports on him.

Douglas is a big believer in building a strong offensive line, so he could opt for Oregon's Penei Sewell, who would join with Mekhi Becton to form 700 pounds' worth of bookends. It wouldn't be the sexiest pick, especially after using last year's first-round pick on Becton, but Douglas is a meat-and-potatoes GM who wants to dominate in the trenches.

If he wants to fix the defense, which could use help at all three levels, the options include Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons and Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

Go for volume: Douglas has spent the past five months accumulating draft picks, starting with the Jamal Adams trade to the Seattle Seahawks. He could add a few more premium picks by trading down from the No. 2 spot, swapping spots with a quarterback-needy team. The ideal scenario would be to drop a few spots, sock away more draft capital and still get New York's No. 1 target, whether it be a quarterback or another player.

This is easy to say in December, but quite another thing to pull it off in April.

Bottom line: Instead of an easy choice (Lawrence), Douglas will have a handful of ways this offseason with which he can rebuild a roster bereft of talent.