5 players not named Jessie Bates the NY Jets should sign in NFL Free Agency

4. The NY Jets should sign WR DJ Chark in free agency

Zach Wilson actively hurt the offense’s production and the fact that he failed to take accountability for his lackluster play was a big turnoff among NY Jets players. Having said that, their wide receiver corps could use a boost.

Wide receiver Garrett Wilson lived up to his draft billing in finished the 2022 campaign with 83 receptions for 1,103 yards with four touchdowns in spite of Zach Wilson. However, no other Jets wideout tallied more than 40 catches last year. There’s time for Elijah Moore to put it all together but general manager Joe Douglas should strongly consider pursuing DJ Chark Jr. in free agency.

Chark was a second-round selection in 2018 by the Jacksonville Jaguars that burst into the scene in his sophomore campaign, catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards with eight touchdowns. The former LSU Tiger saw a dip in production in 2020 due to the instability at the quarterback position in Jacksonville but still manage to rack up 53 receptions for 706 yards with five touchdowns.

With the arrival of Trevor Lawrence in 2021, Chark was expected to bounce back but an ankle fracture cut his season short and limited him to just seven catches for 154 yards and two trips to the end zone. Chark became a free agent last year and chose to bet on himself, signing a one-year, prove-it deal with the Detroit Lions but once again was hampered by injuries. This time, he had 30 catches for 502 yards with three touchdowns.

Chark has missed 22 games over the last three years, so expecting him to stay healthy might be a tall order. However, he could draw coverage away from Wilson and give the Jets a deep threat their offense is sorely missing.