The Jets began Saturday’s final day of the NFL Draft with three selections in the fourth round.
But after a flurry of trades, Gang Green had just one pick in the round and used it on Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen with the 134th overall pick.
Despite being only 20, Allen was very productive during his three seasons with the Badgers. He registered 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. That includes last year when Allen gained 984 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on the ground.
At 6-1, 235 pounds, Allen patterns his game after former Titans and current Ravens running back Derrick Henry. He is a one-cut-and-go running back with tremendous power. Allen is also a downhill runner who is physical and loves to punish and run over defenders.
“That’s what I will bring to the Jets,” Allen said. “Physical, downhill runner. I’m more and willing in pass protection, and I’m also able to run routes and catch the ball.
“I think I’m a well-rounded back.”
His vision, or lack thereof, is why he fell to Round 4.
Too often, Allen missed wide-open cutback lanes. His ball security has also been questioned. He carried the football away from his body, which led to fumbles.
With the addition of Allen, the Jets have a young but talented backfield with Breece Hall and Israel Abanikanda, who they drafted in the fifth round last year.
Hall was one of the best all-purpose running backs in the NFL in 2023. He rushed for 994 yards and five touchdowns for the Jets and caught 76 passes for 591 yards and four touchdowns.
The Jets’ first trade of the fourth round was with the Packers, which moved them back to 126th overall and netted them an extra sixth-round pick. Then, the Jets traded the 126th pick to the Lions for a 2025 third-round pick. Finally, the Jets traded the 129th overall pick with the 49ers for two 2024 fifth-round picks (No. 173 and No. 176).
Gang Green had three picks late in the fifth round. With the first one, the Jets selected Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis at 171st overall. They also drafted South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis (No. 173) and cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers, who played with the Toronto Argonauts (No. 176).
Travis was a four-year starter for the Seminoles and won the 2023 ACC Player of the Year after passing for 2,756 yards, 20 touchdowns, and two interceptions. He helped lead the Seminoles to a 13-1 record and an ACC Championship.
However, last November, Travis broke his leg and missed the final three games of the season. However, he is expected to be cleared for training camp, which will begin in late July.
“It’s been a grind,” Travis said about the rehab process. “I love this type of stuff. I just love the work and I love to improve every single day.
“It has been a journey but it’s been a blessing from the man upstairs.”
The Jets already have Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, who signed a two-year contract last month. But Travis gives the Jets a quarterback they could potentially develop for the future.
Rodgers is 40 and coming off a season-ending Achilles injury he suffered during the Jets season debut against the Bills last September. In case anything happens to Rodgers, Taylor will provide the Jets with a veteran security blanket. However, Taylor has an extensive injury history himself, including breaking his ribs when he was with the Giants last October.
During his final three seasons at Florida State, Travis progressed as a passer. He was accurate in the short and intermediate windows and is a nice seam passer.
Travis also does an excellent job selling play-action passes and has a quick release. Along with his passing skills, Travis is also an incredible athlete, rushing for 1,950 yards and 31 touchdowns at Florida State.
“It is a dream come true,” Travis said about joining the Jets. “I prayed for this after my visit with Coach [Todd] Downing, and it is a dream come true. I fell in love with those guys.
“I can’t wait to meet Aaron and Tyrod and pick their brains every single day and how they carry themselves on the field, off the field. I freaking can’t wait.
The Jets continued adding to the running back room by adding Davis, who is a physical, versatile player with outstanding size at 6-feet, 218 pounds. Last season for the Jackrabbits, Davis rushed for 1,578 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 23 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown.
“Unbelievable feeling,” Davis said about joining the Jets. “It is a blessing. I’m so excited to be a Jet and to be in New York, it is a dream come true.”
Stiggers has an interesting story. After attending B.E.S.T. Academy in Atlanta, Stiggers enrolled at Lane College in Tennessee before leaving football in 2021 after Stiggers’ father, Rayves Harrison, died in a car accident. He later played in the Fan Controlled Football League in 2022. It was there, he got the attention of former Toronto Argonauts offensive coordinator Josh Jenkins, who suggested he should try out for the CFL.
For the Argonauts, Stiggers registered 56 tackles and five interceptions last season. He was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie and a CFL East All-Star and played in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl.
“I feel like anybody that goes to the Toronto Argonauts is going to be developed into a good player and a great person on and off the field,” Stiggers said. “I was just looking for an opportunity but it ended up being more than an opportunity, it ended up being a life-changing year for me where I can chase my dreams to go to the NFL.
“I will always have so much love for the Argos for bringing me in and making me the person that I am.”
The Jets held the 257th and final pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday in Detroit. They made Alabama safety Jaylen Key this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.
Key played just one season at Alabama, after transferring from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He registered 60 tackles, one interception, and one pass break-up in 14 games.
Key will join a Jets safety group that includes Tony Adams, Chuck Clark, and Ashtyn Davis.
“It means everything, that’s part of it,” Key said about being this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. “You just gotta take it and lean into it.
“For me, I’m definitely going to lean into it and every bit of it. I’m the Mr. Irrelevant this year and we are going to make something shake for sure.”
