Jets: 3 big free agent targets that could alter 2021 NFL Draft plans

The New York Jets are finally trending in the right direction and they can get a big boost in free agency this year. This offseason, the Jets fired Adam Gase and replaced him with Robert Saleh, the highly successful defensive coordinator from San Francisco.

After Joe Douglas proved he can navigate the draft well in 2020, he traded Jamal Adams for two first round picks, making it so his team has two first round picks in both the 2021 NFL Draft and 2022. With the number two overall pick almost locked in as a quarterback, there are plenty of options to explore with their second first round pick, and those options can be narrowed through free agency.

Looking at offseason plans for Jets

With needs at right tackle, interior offensive line, cornerback, edge rusher, wide receiver, and running back, the Jets have plenty of options to look at in free agency. According to Overthecap.com, the Jets have the second-most cap space available for 2021, sitting at $77 million available.

Take out the $11 million that is projected for the draft class and they still have $66 million available. With that much cap space, the new coaching staff and Joe Douglas can jumpstart this rebuild in a big way. When free agency opens on March 17th, expect the Jets to be active.

The biggest hindrance for teams in free agency is the cap space, but with as much as the Jets have, they shouldn’t be held back at all. If the front office is serious about a rebuild, they’ll look to spend big money on big names to give their roster the boost it desperately needs.