Jets find themselves in familiar territory as draft nears

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:

1. Familiar theme: When they're on the clock with the seventh overall pick in the draft on April 24, the Jets could be faced with the intriguing choice of a prolific pass-catching tight end or a highly skilled tackle who would fill a glaring hole on their offensive line.

Sound familiar?

A year ago, the pre-draft buzz surrounding the Jets focused on Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and a handful of highly-rated tackles. Sure enough, Bowers was on the board for the Jets, who had traded down one spot to 11th, but they opted for Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu -- and immediately named him Tyron Smith's backup. Yes, backup.

Bowers, taken two picks later by the Las Vegas Raiders, went on to a record-setting rookie season (112 receptions for 1,194 yards). Fashanu replaced the injured Smith at midseason and showed steady improvement. No one is calling him "generational" like they are Bowers, but the pick still is holding its value because he plays a premium position.

Now here we go again, with another Nittany Lion in the conversation.

Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is a potential top-10 pick, as is Missouri right tackle Armand Membou. Both would fill needs. The Jets didn't re-sign tight end Tyler Conklin (Los Angeles Chargers) and right tackle Morgan Moses (New England Patriots), and they didn't make any big moves to replace them. They added Stone Smartt and Chukwuma Okorafor, respectively, as bargain-bin free agents.

In his latest mock draft, ESPN senior draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. picks Warren to the Jets.

"I went with Warren because they passed on Bowers last year, and I thought with Justin Fields, that would be somebody that could really create a nightmare for defensive coordinators," Kiper said. "I thought maybe you could find a right tackle down the line just a bit.

"Membou, he's tempting. I tell you, he's very tempting because and he's a plug-and-play guy, as Warren would be. You can't take 'em both. You have to take one of the two. There's a pretty good chance both will be there at seven. ... Membou or Warren, take your pick. I don't think anybody could argue with either one of those players."

Warren made 104 receptions last season for 1,233 yards (11.9 average yards per catch), eight touchdowns and an impressive 6.7 yards-after-catch per reception. As a gamebreaker, he might not be on the same level as Bowers, but he'd be an upgrade. The Jets' tight ends averaged a league-low 8.1 yards per catch last season. Warren (6-foot-6, 256 pounds) also is a steady blocker, and that would help the Jets, who figure to be more run-oriented teams with a dual-threat quarterback like Fields.

Kiper called Warren a "very valuable chess piece." Meanwhile, Membou (6-4, 332) is a road grader with 30 career starts who capped an excellent season with a strong combine performance that included a 4.91-second time in the 40-yard dash. His draft stock is soaring. As Kiper said, "He's red hot right now."

You're probably thinking, "Why take another offensive lineman?"

Former general manager Joe Douglas invested heavily in the line -- three first-round picks and one second rounder -- but new coach Aaron Glenn comes from the Detroit Lions, where they used strong line play as the foundation for their turnaround.

There's no clear-cut starter at right tackle, so Membou, or perhaps LSU's Will Campbell, will be a consideration. Let the debate begin: Tackle or tight end?