If the New York Jets want to give QB Justin Fields a fair chance, they need to improve the offense around him.
One way they can do that is by increasing the quantity and quality of their picks. Jets analyst Dalbin Osorio of “Badlands” proposed an interesting trade ahead of the 2025 NFL draft to help do that.
New York Jets receive: a 2025 first rounder (No. 11 overall), a 2025 second rounder (No. 43 overall), and a 2026 second round draft choice
San Francisco 49ers receive: a 2025 first rounder (No. 7 overall) and a 2025 third rounder (No. 73 overall)
“Why: your 3rd pick in this draft becomes pick 43 instead of 73, you go 4 spots back in round 1, and add a 2026 2nd rounder from a team clearly taking a step back roster-wise this year,” Osorio explained.
With the No. 11 overall pick, Osorio predicted that the Jets would select Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
“This year’s Olu Fashanu, in my opinion, and a guy who can play T [tackle] at the next level,” Osorio said. “Banks and Olu would give you two athletic bookends who have high floors and who are still absurdly young.”
Breaking Down the Value of the Deal & Possible OL Help
According to the NFL draft value chart, the Jets’ combination of picks is worth 1,725 points. While the 49ers’ selections are worth a total of 2,140 points, per the value chart.
That would be an overpay by the 49ers at the approximate value of a mid-second rounder, per the value chart.
The Jets have a massive hole at right tackle. Banks has all of the tools to fill that void.
He measured in at the 2025 NFL combine at 6-foot-5 and tipped the scales at 315 pounds. During his three-year career at Texas, he started in 42 games all of those coming at left tackle.
Banks is only 21 years of age. Consider this, he was protecting the blindside at Texas as a full-time starter as an 18-year-old back in 2022.
Teams are split on Banks. Some project him as a guard, and others project him as a tackle. If the Jets were to take him in round one, he would have to kick over to right tackle. Last April, the Jets selected Fashanu with the No. 11 overall pick to be their left tackle of the future.
Jets fans will love this. In the 2025 Pro Football Focus draft guide, Banks’ pro comp was Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Fields Will Finally Get His Shot Running the Operation
This offseason, the Jets cut bait with Aaron Rodgers and replaced him with Justin Fields. The former Ohio State product inked a two-year deal for $40 million with $30 million of that guaranteed in free agency.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg joined “NY Flight Jets Talk” and explained to analyst Connor Long why he liked the Fields-Jets pairing.
“This is the first time Justin Fields, I think, has a real shot. You mentioned his athleticism. If you are not going to be a great player, and certainly right now he [Fields] is not a great player, be great at something. He is at least great at one thing. There is only one quarterback in the entire NFL who runs with the ball better than he does, and that’s Lamar Jackson. So he is at minimum great at one thing. Let’s build from that,” Greenberg explained to Connor Long. “I think he is a really good roll of the dice.”
.@Espngreeny told @connor_long15 that the #Jets are giving Justin Fields his first ‘real shot’ in the #NFL.
‘There’s only one quarterback in the entire #NFL who runs with the ball better than he does & that’s Lamar Jackson.’ 👀
‘I think he is a really good roll of the dice.’… pic.twitter.com/OXs5BY4Dqq
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) April 7, 2025
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The Jets have set themselves up well. If Fields stinks in 2025, the team can either move on or hold onto him as an expensive bridge/backup QB in 2026. However, if the experiment works, the Jets can go back to the negotiating table and work out a long-term deal.
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