Bill Belichick hints Pats tried to screw NY Jets in 2023 draft

It seems like the Patriots truly did attempt to screw the New York Jets in the 2023 draft

A former major adversary of the New York Jets has given some insight into a highly debated maneuver he performed in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Appearing on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Bill Belichick spoke about his trade down that allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft Georgia tackle Broderick Jones one spot ahead of the Jets.

“We only traded back a couple of spots. We were pretty confident that the Steelers were looking for a tackle, and we were pretty confident that the Jets weren’t going to take a corner because they had taken [Sauce] Gardner the year before. We thought both teams were looking for the same thing…we were really interested in the corner,” said Belichick.

“We would have stayed and taken Gonzalez if there wasn’t a trade available. But we had the option to move back a couple of spots. Of course, we didn’t know that the Steelers would take the guy the Jets wanted. I mean, I would say we weren’t heartbroken that it happened, but that’s the way it goes.”

Bill Belichick basically confirmed on the McAfee Show that when the #Patriots made their Draft Day trade with the #Steelers (#14 to PIT for #17 + a 4th) it was somewhat in an effort to screw the #Jets.

They knew NYJ was in on T Broderick Jones and that they wouldn’t have taken… pic.twitter.com/kH0sJP2ftN

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) April 17, 2024

The trade led to New York taking edge rusher Will McDonald with the 15th overall pick. New England moved down to No. 17 and selected cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

New York initially owned the 13th pick in the 2023 draft, one spot ahead of where Pittsburgh ended up taking Jones. However, the Jets swapped places with the Packers as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade, pushing them down two spots. This allowed Pittsburgh to swap places with New England and jump New York for one of the top tackle prospects, something the Jets desperately needed at the time.

It remains to be seen how Jones will pan out in the NFL, but it would have been ideal for the Jets to land a tackle with that pick. The offensive line was one of their top needs going into the draft, and it only became a bigger issue once the season began and the unit endured countless injuries.

Jones would have earned plenty of reps in his rookie year. Going into 2024, the Jets likely would have had Jones penciled in as one of their starters. Instead, the Jets were forced to add two starting tackles this offseason: Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith.

While the Jets have done well improving their offensive line and look primed to compete in 2024, missing out on Jones was a moment that had a major ripple effect on their future. Belicichk’s comments on “McAfee” seem to all but confirm that he had the Jets in mind when he executed the trade, only further cementing his reputation as one of the Jets’ all-time greatest adversaries.

FOR MORE AT JETS X-FACTOR, VISIT/SUBSCRIBE AT: Bill Belichick hints Pats tried to screw NY Jets in 2023 draft | Jets X-Factor