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

3. The NY Jets should sign Hayden Hurst in free agency

Even though the NY Jets had a well-rounded roster last year, they could use an upgrade at several positions, not just quarterback and wide receiver. One position group that could use a boost is their tight end room.

Tyler Conklin hauled in a solid 58 receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. However, there’s not much depth behind him. The team’s brass signed C.J. Uzomah last offseason but he only managed to get 21 catches for 232 yards with two touchdowns.

Maybe New York could bring back Uzomah on an affordable contract but if they want to upgrade their tight end unit, they should then kick the tires on Hayden Hurst in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft expecting him to become a difference-maker on an offense that needed better production from the tight end position.

Baltimore did get a boost at tight end but they got it from Mark Andrews, not Hurst, who was shipped to the Atlanta Falcons in 2020 to replace Austin Hooper. After two seasons, Hurst signed with the Cincinnati Bengals to fill the void Uzomah left when he signed with Cincy.

Hurst ended up tallying 52 receptions for 414 yards and two touchdowns in 2022. Even though he won’t probably have the market fellow tight ends Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki will have in free agency, he could help several teams that might not be able to spend much on the position.

In New York, Hurst would form a solid tight end tandem with Conklin and give whoever starts at quarterback in 2023 another target in the middle of the field.