The seeds for Aaron Rodgers deciding that the grass is greener on the other side of Green Bay were planted at the 2022 draft.
Rodgers identifying the Jets as a post-divorce destination because they offered him a chance to chase his second Super Bowl ring was made possible by Joe Douglas having himself a Joe Namath Super Bowl III night:
The Defensive Rookie of the Year (Sauce Gardner) with the fourth pick.
The Offensive Player of the Year (Garrett Wilson) with the 10th pick.
Trading up for DE Jermaine Johnson with the 26th pick.
Trading up two spots for RB Breece Hall with the 36th pick.
For Douglas, it represented a timely rebound from using the second-overall pick of the 2020 draft on Zach Wilson.
The uncertainty surrounding 2020 first-round pick LT Mekhi Becton had Douglas eyeing an offensive tackle with the 15th pick of Thursday night’s draft as a bodyguard for Rodgers, who didn’t sound particularly concerned. If Becton, who may or may not be in the best shape of his life, isn’t motivated to keep Rodgers upright, he will never be.
“I don’t know the O-line as much, but I feel like there’s a lot of guys who have a chance to really make a jump and be special,” Rodgers said Wednesday.
He does know about receiver Garrett Wilson.
“I think I can pass on some wisdom. I’ve been around some great ones, the best in the league still [Davante Adams],” Rodgers said. “I think one of the most important things is always working on your craft. That’s what I saw from Davante every single day — he was always working on his releases, setting guys up. And what a blessing for him to go against one of the best corners in the league every single day in Sauce. So I look forward to watching those battles.”
Douglas had even considered taking Johnson (2.5 sacks in a part-time role) with the 10th pick before pouncing with a deal with the Titans when he began dropping.
“We got better tonight,” Douglas said following the first round. “Three players that were in our top eight.”
The thought at the time was getting Zach Wilson an elite playmaker who could evolve into a No. 1 receiver. Turns out that Douglas drafted Garrett Wilson for Aaron Rodgers.
“His playmaking ability, his explosiveness, ball skills, run after catch — he’s a very talented young man,” Douglas said.
Garrett Wilson was on the board because the Falcons had selected WR Drake London with the eighth pick. Wilson became a Jet after Douglas had made an offer to the Chiefs for Tyreek Hill, who took his electric talents to South Beach, and explored trading with the 49ers for Deebo Samuel and with the Titans for A.J. Brown. The Jets were all-in on Zach Wilson and hellbent on him making that second-year leap that would enable them to take flight.
Garrett Wilson (83-1,103, four TDs) overcame the Jets quarterback turbulence to outshine London (72-866-4) and helped make disgruntled Elijah Moore expendable.
Gardner was on the board because the Texans selected Derek Stingley Jr. with the third pick. Gardner was a shutdown corner from Day 1.
“Just consistently competitive, loves ball, wants to soak it up and know all the details,” Douglas said after the season. “Highly instinctive, and then that’s before you even get to his ability.”
Rodgers was bemused by Gardner’s symbolic burning of a cheesehead and is delighted that he won’t have to throw in his direction.
Hall (80-463-4 rushing, 19-218-1 receiving in seven games) was the Jets’ 18th-rated player who would have given Garrett Wilson a run for his money for OROY if he hadn’t suffered a torn ACL. Douglas was tempted to trade back into the first round for him.
“He’s a home run threat,” Douglas said following Round 3. “He can score from anywhere on the field. Excellent elusiveness, excellent balance after contact. And also, another guy that can be a weapon in the pass game. Really, really natural ball skills. And he’s a tough tackle in open space.”
Douglas selected TE Jeremy Ruckert in the third round, who will be more of a factor for Rodgers as a sophomore.
“He’s a dynamic athlete, he’s a dynamic weapon in the pass game, but he wasn’t always the No. 1 option at Ohio State,” Douglas said. “He really committed to helping his running backs at the point of attack. … He’s got excellent ball skills, and he’s got some run-after-catch, too.”
Douglas had just five picks this time — Nos. 15, 43, 112, 143 and 170. But it was that 2022 draft — combined with coach Robert Saleh and the hiring of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett — that helped convince Rodgers he could chase a championship for a franchise that hasn’t witnessed one since Jan. 12, 1969.