The New York Jets rejected a massive discount offer to sign Olu Fashanu

Olu Fashanu may not have been the New York Jets’ top target in the 2024 NFL Draft — as evidenced by the team’s efforts to trade for wide receiver Rome Odunze — but you better believe he He was highly ranked in their selection committee.

The Jets ended up losing a spot to the Minnesota Vikings to select Fashanu 11th overall in this year’s draft. Turns out they received a very tempting offer to drop eight spots to the Los Angeles Rams.

The offer, revealed via a clip posted Friday to the NFL’s social media accounts, included the Rams sending the 19th overall pick, the 52nd overall pick and the 99th overall pick to the Jets for the No. 11 pick and choice #185.

Reports suggested the Rams were desperately trying to trade for Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, but although Los Angeles offered the Jets their first, second and third round picks, general manager Joe Douglas didn’t budge.

The same video clip previously showed the Rams offering their second-round pick to the Jets to move up from the No. 19 pick to the No. 10 pick before New York traded picks with the Minnesota Vikings.

This rejection was probably an easy decision on the part of Douglas and the Jets, but the Rams’ second offer probably gave them pause. After all, this trade would have been a win from a pure value perspective, according to most draft trade charts.

The Jets, however, were not interested. If they had gone down to 19th overall, it’s almost a guarantee that they wouldn’t have been able to select Fashanu. The team might have been forced to turn to a player like Washington’s Troy Fautanu or even target a different position.

The Jets weighed their options, saw the value of the trade and decided to stay put and select Fashanu anyway. This shows how much they appreciated the former Penn State star.

Fashanu has received rave reviews for the progress he has already made this spring. The Jets have played him exclusively at left tackle in practice, and that’s where the team hopes he spends the next decade playing for the organization.

Fashanu won’t be asked to start immediately, as he will have the opportunity to sit and learn behind future Hall of Fame left tackle Tyron Smith. But given Smith’s age and injuries, it’s likely Fashanu will find his way onto the field at some point.

The Jets have high expectations for a player they hope will be their future left tackle. Fashanu was simply too good for the Jets to pass up.