Jets Searching For OT Help

The Jets are down a pair of offensive tackles, and the team is naturally in the market for some reinforcement. Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus writes that the Jets have recently been looking around for depth at offensive tackle, with one source describing the team as “desperate for help.”

[RELATED: Jets Place LT Duane Brown On IR]

The team lost their starting right tackle when Mekhi Becton went down with a knee injury. The Jets later inked Duane Brown to a two-year, $20MM deal to play LT, with George Fant sliding over to RT. Brown later injured his shoulder and landed on injured reserve, knocking him out for at least the first four games of the season. Even backup Conor McDermott was inactive during Week 1 while he nursed an ankle injury.

As a result of the injuries, Fant moves back to left tackle, with fourth-round rookie Max Mitchell starting at right tackle. Neither player performed all that well during the season opener based on PFF’s grades; Fant ranked 45th among 64 qualifying tackles while Mitchell was ranked 62nd.

So, the team is sniffing around for some help on their offensive line, and Kyed writes that the organization struck out on one player they had been pursuing. As Kyed writes, the front office may be a bit wary of investing even more money at the position, and there are no clear upgrades available on the market. So, for the time being, the Jets will rely on an OT tackle grouping that includes Fant, Mitchell, McDermott, and practice squad tackles Grant Hermanns (who was promoted for Week 1) and Eric Smith.

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