Trade up? Trade back? Stand pat?

The 2025 NFL Combine is over, and now the attention of the football world -- with a detour next week with the beginning of free agency -- turns to the NFL Draft. The Jets, at present, hold the No. 7 overall and No. 42 selections among their 8 total picks (again, at present). A lot can happen between now and the event in late April in Green Bay.

"I think at 7 we're going to be open to moving up for a player or moving back," general manager Darren Mougey said when he met the media in Indianapolis. "All those options are on the table."

And there are a dizzying number of "options on the table," as team reporter Eric Allen found out in a deep dive with Daniel Jeremiah, an analyst and writer for NFL Network and NFL.com, and Jordan Reid, ESPN's NFL Draft analyst in an edition of "The Official Jets Podcast."

In his analysis of the Jets' options, Jeremiah said: "They're in an interesting spot. It's a lot of different directions that they could go if one of those two quarterbacks [Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders] is there, depending on what they can accomplish in free agency. It feels to me, like more a team that's still kind of building up. And it feels more like having a young guy option there, whether that's in free agency, I just don't know if that's Justin Fields, who's still young [26]. There's still growth there, and there's a lot of tools that would make a lot of sense to me. But then again, it's weighing him against potentially one of those two guys being there at 7. That's to be determined. I'd be very surprised if Cam Ward was an option, if he would be there, but you might be having that conversation of Shedeur versus Fields and having that out."

The Jets' roster currently lists three QBs: veteran Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez and Jordan Travis. Travis was drafted in the fifth round last year out of Florida State after sustaining a serious leg injury in college. He did not see any action, in practice or otherwise, as he rehabbed last season.

Last year there were six quarterbacks selected among the first 12 picks, including a trio at the top of the draft. This year, however, Reid and Jeremiah are bullish on a strong contingent of interior defensive linemen. And certainly one of the Jets' needs in free agency or in a deep draft is finding a running mate for Quinnen Williams on the defensive line, with three of their current DTs on expiring contracts. Reid called the D-line class the "best since 2019," which brought the likes of Nick Bosa, Ed Oliver, Christian Wilkins and Williams into the league.

"I think the run of the defensive line could happen just because of the lack of those blue chip type of guys at the top of this year's class," Reid said. "So Mason Graham [Michigan/6-3, 296], we just talked about him. Somebody like Shemar Stewart [6-6, 291], out of Texas A&M, I think that's another name that they could find really intriguing. Then you're getting into other names, the Georgia duo of [LB] Jalen Walker [6-2, 243] then also [DE] Mykel Williams [6-5, 260]. I definitely think they could be in contingent for that seventh overall pick.

"And then, of course, [head coach] Aaron Glenn is a defensive guy. I think they're going to want a clean prospect, especially whenever you're talking about the first pick of a new regime. You want somebody that's going to come in and play right away that's been productive in college."

Jeremiah, who first attended the NFL Combine in 2002, believes the Jets could be interested in a big, young tight end with the assumption that the veteran Tyler Conklin will sign with another team in free agency. He rates another Tyler, Tyler Warren (Penn State/6-6, 256), and Colston Loveland (Michigan/6-6, 248) as "Round 1 worthy picks."

"It's just a matter of are the Jets comfortable with spending a high pick on the tight end?" Jeremiah said. "Do they feel like one of these guys is that special? I believe Tyler Warren is that special of a player that he's worth considering at number seven overall. And he's a very similar player to T.J. Hockenson when he was coming out of Iowa, a guy that doesn't predicate himself on creating the ultimate separation, but he can win in so many contested situations. And we saw it during his [Warren's] career last year at Penn State, the way he was able to just sky and tower over guys. I think he's an underrated athlete, especially after the catch. And the Jets have a huge need as far as a weapon outside of Garrett Wilson, they need that second target. And Tyler Warren would definitely bring that to the table."

Mougey and Glenn will also have to address the Jets' needs in the defensive backfield. Sauce Gardner and slot corner Michael Carter II will be there. Beyond those two, D.J. Reed will be a coveted free agent, backup/special teamer Brandin Echols could also hit the open market. Others with expiring contracts include S Chuck Clark. S Tony Adams, S Ashtyn Davis, S Jalen Mills, CB/S Isaiah Oliver and CB Kendall Sheffield.

"There's a cluster of guys in the second round right now," Reid said. "And the great thing about the Combine is this is where a certain guy in a cluster can really differentiate himself. So I'm looking at somebody like [CB] Azareye'h Thomas [6-2, 197] out of Florida State, [CB] Maxwell Hairston [5-11, 183] out of Kentucky.

"There's plenty of other names in this year's draft class of [CB] Shavon Revel [6-2, 194] out of ECU is another. All those guys are really in that same cluster of late first, early second-round guys, potentially mid-second-round guys as well. [CB] Benjamin Morrison [6-0, 193] out of Notre Dame is another name that I didn't even mention that is in that same cluster. One guy I love that I think would fit perfect in Aaron Glenn's defense is [S] Andrew Makuba [5-11, 186] out of Texas, who originally went to Clemson his first few years of his career, had the breakout freshman season, battled some injuries after that, and really reinvented himself once he went back home to Texas."