Jets: 3 free agents who could alter 2021 NFL Draft plans

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Jets target Aaron Jones. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

Don’t pay running backs! That philosophy has been proven right again and again, but someone is going to pay them. Packers running back Aaron Jones will almost certainly hit the open market and command top dollar. Jones has 3,017 total yards and 30 touchdowns combined in the past two seasons, to go along with a Pro Bowl bid this past season. The Packers may be unable to bring him back and also drafted A.J. Dillon in the second round last Spring.

The Jets ranked 23rd in YPC last season and adding a top tier runner who averaged 5.5 yards per attempt last season could go a long way. LaFleur is likely bringing that zone running scheme that has had so much success around the league, including with his previous employer in San Francisco. It’s a very similar scheme to the one that helped Jones break out in Green Bay. If the fit couldn’t get any better, it is reasonable to imagine that Matt LaFleur will send praise towards his former player when inevitably asked by his younger brother.

Now, it has been proven by data that an effective ground game is not needed to utilize play action. That is the biggest reason why paying a running back is counterintuitive. However, the Jets are likely to value the ground game and having a talented running back more than Green Bay. The Jets are most likely trotting out a rookie quarterback, while the Packers have three time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. While paying a running back is unwise, the Jets are one of the few teams who can do so without taking resources away from another part of the roster. Flush with cap space and draft picks, New York has the flexibility to make Jones a very wealthy man.

A Jones signing likely alters draft plans for New York. The Jets have been attached to almost every running back in this draft with picks ranging from late first round to early day three. Names like Travis Etienne, Najee Harris, and Javonte Williams have been connected to New York for weeks. If they have Jones in tow, drafting a running back is likely off the board until the later rounds. New York has too many needs to double dip at a non-premium position.

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