The Jets moved up four spots in the third round of the 1991…
The Jets moved up four spots in the third round of the 1991 draft, sending Green Bay Nos. 67 and 121 for No. 63. New York used the pick on linebacker Mo Lewis, who spent 13 seasons with the Jets, played 200 games, reached three Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro recognition. That star-level longevity overwhelms Green Bay's return.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 1991 third round pick (#67-Don Davey)
- pick 1991 fifth round pick (#121-Gene Williams III)
New York Jets Received
- pick 1991 third round pick (#63-Mo Lewis)
Trade Analysis
Green Bay's process was defensible. Moving from No. 63 to No. 67 while adding a fifth-round selection is the kind of small draft-day trade that often creates value because the team barely sacrifices position while gaining another chance at a player. The Packers used those selections on Don Davey and Gene Williams. Neither became a major long-term contributor for Green Bay, however, which left the extra-pick strategy without enough payoff.
New York's result was exceptional. With the 63rd pick, the Jets selected linebacker Mo Lewis. He spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with the franchise, appeared in 200 games, recorded 52.5 sacks, made three Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro honors. Lewis became a defensive fixture through multiple coaching eras and gave the Jets far more than the normal expectation for a third-round selection. The trade-up cost was modest enough that even an ordinary starter would have made the move reasonable; landing a franchise mainstay made it a runaway success.
That gap in realized value drives the grades. Green Bay should not receive the harshest possible mark because the club gained two picks for one and made a rational move down. Draft choices carry uncertainty, and the Packers could not know that Lewis would become a Jets institution. Still, hindsight is central to the verdict, and the outcome is unmistakable. New York gave up two mid-round selections, moved only four spots, and secured 13 seasons of high-level linebacker play. The Jets earn an A+ for one of the best returns in this portion of the 1991 draft.