Two years of hindsight can turn an NFL draft upside down, but CBS Sports’ 2024 redo left the Jets with one clear win they didn’t need to second-guess.
At the top of the board, the quarterback picture got scrambled. The Chicago Bears passed on Caleb Williams for Drake Maye, Williams went to the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall, and the New England Patriots came away with Jayden Daniels at No.
- New York, though, stayed put.
CBS Sports kept Olu Fashanu exactly where the Jets took him at No. 11 overall, a sign that his value has only grown since draft night. That lines up with how the team viewed him from the start.
When New York selected the former Penn State Nittany Lions standout, it wasn’t just filling a hole. It was making a long-term investment in one of the most important jobs in football.
That kind of pick doesn’t always grab headlines in the moment, but it matters. Offensive tackles live in the background until the game starts tilting on the edges, and the Jets believe Fashanu can be one of those players who steadies everything around him. Protecting the quarterback and helping the run game begin there, and New York sees him as a piece it can build around.
Redrafts usually spotlight the teams that would love a do-over. In this case, they also pointed back to a franchise that got it right the first time.
The Jets still have plenty to sort out heading into the 2026 season, but left tackle doesn’t look like one of those problems. CBS Sports’ exercise only reinforced what New York has believed since 2024: Fashanu was a pick it would make again.
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