The NY Jets' decision to select Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was met with some initial pushback by a section of both the fan base and the national media.
While some saw Fashanu as a much-needed insurance policy at an important position behind two aging tackles, others questioned why the Jets would spend premium draft capital on a player who, in a perfect world, wouldn't even see the field in what was supposed to be an all-in season.
It was a fair criticism, but the Jets ultimately opted for the insurance route, passing on Georgia tight end Brock Bowers after repeated failed attempts to trade up for a wide receiver.
Just three weeks into the 2024 season, the team's controversial draft-day decision is already being justified. Fashanu is set to start his first NFL game when the Jets take on the Denver Broncos in Week 4, and he could be in line for additional starts in the near future.
Morgan Moses injury helps justify the Olu Fashanu pick for the NY Jets
Jets right tackle Morgan Moses suffered a knee injury in the team's Week 3 win over the New England Patriots. While his injury is not expected to be season-ending, Moses is expected to be sidelined for at least "a couple of weeks," per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
There's a good chance the Jets will opt to keep Moses out until at least after the team's London game in Week 5. The earliest we're likely to see Moses return would be Week 6 on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills.
That means the Jets will be trusting Fashanu to start a minimum of two games at right tackle, a position he only briefly played this summer. But that was always the thinking with the Fashanu selection.
While the plan is obviously for Fashanu to be the Jets' long-term left tackle of the future, this selection was always more than just a long-term vision. The Jets needed Fashanu in the short term as well.
Trusting Tyron Smith and Moses to stay healthy for an entire season would never have been wise. Smith hasn't appeared in more than 13 games in a season since 2015 and Moses, while historically durable, is 33 years old and coming off offseason shoulder surgery.
The Jets knew that they needed extra insurance on the offensive line, especially after the disastrous developments of last season. Fashanu is that crucial insurance policy, and it's already paying off.
While it would be nice to have an additional playmaker in this Jets' offense, protecting Aaron Rodgers and keeping him upright should be the top priority. Brock Bowers isn't doing that. Neither is Rome Odunze.The Jets fully expect Fashanu to take over as the team's long-term left tackle of the future in the coming years, possibly as soon as 2025. For now, he's a much-needed safeguard for both their franchise quarterback and their Super Bowl hopes. It's hard to argue with that strategy.
