As long as Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh are constructing the Jets, the team will always be in the market for two positions -- offensive and defensive linemen.
The Green & White have been linked to tackle throughout the lead up to the draft Duane Brown (shoulder) and MekhiBecton (knee) on the mend after season-ending injuries in 2022.
Brown, who will be 38 when the season begins, started 12 games in his first season with the Jets. He and Becton, who has taken 48 snaps in the regular season in the last two seasons combined, are entering the final year of their contracts unless Douglas exercises Becton's fifth-year option. Douglas and the Jets do not need to make a decision on that until after the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Jets are also likely to add a center in the offseason with Connor McGovern, the team's starter at the pivot for the last three seasons, on the market. Douglas said the team has interest in the Titans former C Ben Jones.
As the roster stands, the Green & White are set at guard with Laken Tomlinson at LG and Alijah Vera-Tucker at RG.
Below is a look at some of the top options at tackle and center in the NFL Draft.
See NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah's updated list of the top 50 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
1. Bryce Young, QB (Alabama)
2. Will Anderson Jr., Edge (Alabama)
3. Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas)
4. Tyree Wilson, Edge (Texas Tech)
5. Jalen Carter, DT (Georgia)
6. Devon Witherspoon, CB (Illinois)
7. C.J. Stroud, QB (Ohio State)
8. Peter Skoronski, OT (Northwestern)
9. Jordan Addison, WR (USC)
10. Anthony Richardson, QB (Florida)
11. Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah)
12. Will Levis, QB (Kentucky)
13. Christian Gonzalez, CB (Oregon)
14. Lukas Van Ness, Edge (Iowa)
15. Joey Porter Jr., CB (Penn State)
16. Nolan Smith, Edge (Georgia)
17. Darnell Wright, OT (Tennessee)
18. Paris Johnson Jr., OT (Ohio State)
19. Broderick Jones, OT (Georgia)
20. Myles Murphy, Edge (Clemson)
21. Michael Mayer, TE (Notre Dame)
22. Darnell Washington, TE (Georgia)
23. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (Ohio State)
24. Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College)
25. Will McDonald IV, Edge (Iowa State)
26. Calijah Kancey, DT (Pittsburgh)
27. Keion White, Edge (Georgia Tech)
28. Deonte Banks, CB (Maryland)
29. Quentin Johnston, WR (TCU)
30. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (Alabama)
31. Brian Branch, CB (Alabama)
32. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Edge (Kansas State)
33. Joe Tippmann, IOL (Wisconsin)
34. Bryan Bresee, DT (Clemson)
35. Cody Mauch, OT (North Dakota State)
36. Jalin Hyatt, WR (Tennessee)
37. O'Cyrus Torrence, IOL (Florida)
38. Emmanuel Forbes, CB (Mississippi State)
39. Mazi Smith, DT (Michigan)
40. Kelee Ringo, CB (Georgia)
41. Sam LaPorta, TE (Iowa)
42. BJ Ojulari, Edge (LSU)
43. Luke Musgrave, TE (Oregon State)
44. Trenton Simpson, LB (Clemson)
45. Steve Avila, Center (TCU)
46. Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge (USC)
47. John Michael Schmitz, IOL (Minnesota)
48. Zach Charbonnet, RB (UCLA)
49. Hendon Hooker, QB (Tennessee)
50. Jack Campbell, LB (Iowa)
T Peter Skoronski (6-4, 313), Northwestern
Skoronski has been the anchor at left tackle for the Wildcats since he was a freshman in 2020. He started all 33 games he played in, including 9 games as a freshman, earning freshman All-American honors. He was first-team All-Big Ten in 2021. In 2022, he became the first unanimous All-American and the Big Ten's Rimington-Pace OL of the Year in school history. Skoronski was the only offensive tackle in college football with 830-plus snaps and 6 or fewer pressures allowed. He has NFL bloodlines -- his grandfather, Bob Skoronski Sr., played OT for eight seasons for the Packers (1959-68). Some pundits believe Peter is best suited to play guard at the pro level.
T Paris Johnson (6-3, 313), Ohio State
Johnson played both RG and LT for the Buckeyes, starting 13 games at guard in 2021 and 13 at tackle this past season. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 2022 and the first in school history since 2015 (Taylor Decker). Johnson had one penalty this past season on a false start. He's equally impressive off the field -- he started his own foundation as a senior in high school to help disabled veterans and disadvantaged students-athletes. Johnson, who had a 4.0 GPA in high school, graduated from OSU in three years and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
T Broderick Jones (6-5, 311), Georgia
Jones displayed a lot of potential as a one-and-a-half-year starter for the Bulldogs. He's taken the fewest number of college snaps among FBS offensive tackles in the 2023 draft class. He's started 19 games in two seasons (15 this past season) and had zero holding penalties. He was flagged for one false start. A former basketball player, Jones' calling card is his athleticism. His 4.97 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was the fastest among offensive linemen.
Other top-rated tackles: Tennessee's Darnell Wright (6-5, 333), Oklahoma's Anton Harrison (6-4, 315)
C Joe Tippman (6-6, 313), Wisconsin
Tippman started 22 of his final 23 games for the Badgers over the 2021-22 seasons after a decorated high-school career at Bishop Dwenger, a Catholic high school in Fort Wayne, IN. He started working with the school's OL coach, former Jets OL Jason Fabini (1998-2005), in sixth grade. Tippman had 102 pancake blocks as a senior in 2018 and was named Indiana's Mr. Football and conference MVP. He's also a gym rat, making The Athletic's Bruce Feldman's Freaks List with a 635-pound squat and 455-pound bench.
C John Michael Schmitz (6-3, 301), Minnesota
Michael Schmitz has been with the Gophers for the last six seasons and will be 24 on draft weekend. He started 35 games from 2019-22 and missed two games the last three seasons -- one for injury in 2020 and the other for opting out of the 2022 bowl game. He helped lead Minnesota to a top-15 national rushing offense in 2022 despite four new starters along the line.
Other top-rated centers: Arkansas' Ricky Stromberg (6-3, 306), Ohio State's Luke Wypler (6-2, 303)
