The New York Jets have selected Aaron Rodgers‘ possible successor. In the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft, the Jets traded up and selected former Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis.
On Saturday, the Jets traded up to select Travis with the No. 171 overall pick. New York traded their No. 185 and 190 overall picks to the Philadelphia Eagles to move up to get Travis.
The 23-year-old was the eighth quarterback selected in the draft after six were selected during Thursday’s first round. The seventh quarterback taken was South Carolina’s single caller, Spencer Rattler, with the No. 150 overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.
In his college career, Travis had great success with the Louisville Cardinals for one season and five seasons in Tallahassee. In his six college seasons, Travis completed 637 passes, with a completion percentage of 62%, threw for 8,715 passing yards, 66 touchdowns, and a passing efficiency rating of 150.6.
James Gilbert/Getty Images
Jets general manager Joe Douglas spoke to reporters and explained his reasoning behind the pick.
“I would love to have quarterbacks that we take very year in the draft,” Douglas said during this pre-draft news conference. “Even if you hit on two or three like the Packers did, you can really turn those into future picks, or they develop into starters elsewhere like Mark Brunell and Aaron Brooks and (Matt) Hasselbeck all did.”
Travis was on his way to being a Heisman finalist for the 2023 season; however, in Game 11 of the season, Travis fractured and dislocated his left ankle, ending his season and essentially the Seminoles’ season. Although the ‘Noles finished the season undefeated, winning the ACC title game, they missed the College Football Playoffs. The ‘Noles ended up crushing the previous national champions, the Georgia Bulldogs, in the Orange Bowl, 63-3.
By all indications, Travis will serve as the Jets’ backup and possibly their future quarterback if all pans out. Although he is still recovering from his injury, NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero reported last week that he is expected to be ready by training camp.
The Flordia native is 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds. In 2023, he was named the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Noles to an 11-0 record before his injury.
The Jet’s quarterback room looks fairly depleted at the moment. However, if Rodgers can return to peak form and Travis learns from one of the best quarterbacks to grace the gridiron, the Jets could be threats in their division and the conference for years to come.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.