The way ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. sees it, the Jets essentially traded three starting-caliber players in order to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 in the NFL Draft's first round.
The Jets traded that No. 6 pick, plus picks No. 37 (second round) and No. 49 (second round) and a 2019 second-round pick.
In Kiper's eyes, that's a clear indication that the Jets have their sights set on drafting their next franchise quarterback, even with the team's decision to re-sign Josh McCown and bring in Teddy Bridgewater on a one-year deal.
According to Kiper's latest mock draft, that means the Jets would choose between UCLA's Josh Rosen and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, falling just behind Wyoming's Josh Allen and USC's Sam Darnold.
In Kiper's previous draft -- when the Jets were still at No. 6 -- he had the Jets selecting Mayfield. On Wednesday's edition, with the Jets at No. 3, he had Rosen as the selection.
"You gave up three starters to get the best quarterback, which is a hefty sum to pay. (That's) a lot to give up," Kiper said on a conference call on Wednesday. "Obviously they feel good about that third quarterback, whether it's Rosen, whether it's Mayfield.
The Jets "feel good about the Top 3," Kiper said. "They have to feel good or you don't make this deal."
Kiper also mentioned the possibility that Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is selected at No. 1 (Browns) or No. 2 (Giants), which would in turn push one of the Top-2 quarterbacks down to the Jets pick at No. 3.
As for why Kiper switched his projection from Mayfield to Rosen for the Jets, Kiper said that has much to do with things he's heard from around the league than anything else
"Just what you hear, that's all," Kiper said. "You hear different things from people around the league and Rosen ... you say 'OK, he's NFL ready because of the system he played in, he had 3-5-7 step drops, and how intelligent he is and all that. But it's not going to be a case where the Jets need that" readiness.
With the 38-year-old McCown -- who started 13 games for the Jets in 2017 -- and Bridgewater already on the roster, Kiper pointed out that immediate NFL readiness won't necessarily be a requirement for the Jets, and compared the situation to the ones experienced in recent years with the Bears, Seahawks and Eagles.
The Bears signed Mike Glennon last year and still drafted Mitch Trubisky, who eventually took over for Glennon when he struggled.
Wilson beat out Matt Flynn for the starting job in Seattle in 2012.
Carson Wentz was drafted with Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel already in the fold, without the intention of starting him right away. The Eagles wound up trading Bradford and Wentz leapfrogged Daniel on the depth chart.
"None of these teams are going to need their guy to be ready right away unless they go and beat out McCown and Bridgewater," Kiper said. "All these guys were supposed to redshirt. Will that happen? Who knows. It depends on performance and then whether the starter or veteran can stay healthy."
As for Rosen going to the Jets, Kiper wrote the following on his latest mock draft on ESPN.com:
The Jets traded up with the Colts to get a quarterback. Now the question is: Which ones will be available? There's a legitimate chance the Jets have to settle for their third option, but it's possible they like three quarterbacks in this class. Rosen has rare arm talent and is the most NFL-ready of this group, but his injury history (shoulder in 2016, concussions in 2017) has been a point of discussion among teams.
Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zsr1090@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZackBlatt. Find NJ.com on Facebook.