There is one reason why the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers have failed to reach an agreement on an Aaron Rodgers trade. The New York Jets want Aaron Rodgers badly, but there is just one thing the team does not want to give up to obtain him.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote in a recent article that the Jets are unwilling to trade away their 13th overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft to get the future hall of fame QB.
“The Jets don’t want to surrender their first-round pick for Aaron Rodgers, and it’s not hard to see why,” writes Cimini. “While the 13th overall selection isn’t as high as usual for them — it’s their lowest pick since 2016 (Darron Lee, 20th) — it still holds considerable value. Based on recent history, it’s one of the sweetest spots in the first round.
“In the last 10 drafts, the 13th pick has produced as many Pro Bowl players (eight) as the No. 1 pick, according to data from Pro Football Reference. No other slot in the first round has that many. Those eight players at 13 have combined for 21 Pro Bowl seasons and eight All-Pro selections, compared to 17 and two at No. 1, respectively.”
As Cimini writes, the 13th overall pick could help the Jets obtain one of the top offensive linemen prospects in the draft class. The team was hammered last year by injuries at that position, and adding protection at the line of scrimmage for Rodgers would be ideal.
However, the Packers are not likely to care about why they want to keep it, but only care about the compensation that get in return to make this trade fair for both sides.
Rodgers has already said that he wants to play for the Jets, but he he does not possess a no-trade clause and the only leverage that he has is that he could retire should the team decide to trade him elsewhere.
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The 2023 NFL Draft starts April 27.
