The New York Jets likely received plenty of calls about their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but now we know for sure that the Los Angeles Rams tried to make a move on draft day.
A clip from Season 2 of Roku’s “NFL Draft: The Pick Is In,” which premiered on Friday, June 14, showed Rams general manager Les Snead calling Jets GM about a potential trade.
Here’s the trade that the Rams offered.
Rams receive: 10th overall pick
Jets receive: 19th overall pick, 52nd overall pick
NFL insider Ari Meirov pointed out previous rumors that the Rams had been interested in moving up for tight end Brock Bowers. The two sides weren’t able to figure out a deal, however, and Bowers went 13th overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Jets stayed put to take Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. Meanwhile, the Rams were unable to move up but landed Florida State EDGE Jared Verse with the 19th pick.
Olu Fashanu Is Off to a Solid Start
Offensive linemen aren’t always exciting draft picks. That doesn’t appear to be the case with Fashanu.
Fashanu is earning solid reviews during offseason workouts. The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt wrote that the first-round rookie is already getting more comfortable during minicamp workouts.
“Fashanu had an up-and-down OTAs in team drills — to be expected for a rookie — but started to come into his own by minicamp,” Rosenblatt wrote on June 13. “[Robert] Saleh said that Fashanu was highlighted in a team meeting for his performance in the first minicamp practice. He added that ‘as of now’ the plan is to keep Fashanu exclusively at left tackle.”
With Fashanu continuing to practice at left tackle, it may mean that he spends his first NFL season on the bench. The Jets signed eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith this offseason, meaning that he’ll be the presumed starter come Week 1.
There’s a real chance Fashanu doesn’t start as a rookie. However, he’ll be getting plenty of experience learning from an all-time great in Smith. A year behind Smith could do wonders for Fashanu’s long-term development.
Latest Buzz From Jets Minicamp
While the Jets are getting ready for training camp, it’s been a busy week of off-field news.
Two of the team’s most noteworthy players, Aaron Rodgers and Haason Reddick, have been absent from minicamp. Saleh noted that both absences were viewed as “unexcused,” meaning that both players will be subject to fines.
Despite the drama from Rodgers’ absence, Saleh quickly set the record straight. He mentioned that the two were on the same page and that there were no issues stemming from his absence.
“We addressed it yesterday,” Saleh told reporters. “It’s more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside.”
Meanwhile, the Jets and Reddick continue to work on an extension during his holdout. He took to X after news of his absence to warn fans about believing certain narratives regarding his absence.
Stop believing the foolery y’all see on these social media apps and news outlets. Running crazy narratives and y’all eating it up.
The Jets will need both players ready to go in training camp to get ready for a playoff run in 2024. Fortunately, a few offseason practices shouldn’t have much of an impact once the regular season comes around.
