If Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum has demonstrated anything in his brief tenure on the job, it’s that when NFL draft time rolls around, he doesn’t hesitate to trade.

Last year Tannenbaum acquired an extra first-round draft pick by trading defensive end John Abraham and made three more trades on the first day of the draft. This year he’s already moved back in the second round in a trade for running back Thomas Jones, and he previously traded the Jets’ fourth-round pick for running back Kevan Barlow.

So as the Jets prepare for this weekend’s draft, Tannenbaum will no doubt be working the phones. But the good news for the Jets is that they approach the draft with fewer holes to fill than they had in 2006. Last year the Jets needed to transform their roster to improve upon the previous season’s 4–12 record. This year they’re coming off a playoff berth and hoping a few key additions can help them move ahead of the Patriots and into first place in the AFC East for the first time since 2002.

The Jets’ top priority is acquiring more personnel to fit coach Eric Mangini’s preferred 3–4 defense. Last year the Jets were playing primarily with players left over from the 4–3, Cover 2 defense that Herm Edwards ran. The Jets’ defense often looked like Mangini was trying to put square pegs into round holes, particularly against the run, where week over week opposing offenses had success running against a front seven that wasn’t equipped for Mangini’s schemes.

That means run-stuffing defensive linemen or linebackers would be the ideal players for the Jets to target with their first-round pick, the 25th overall. Nebraska defensive end Adam Carriker is a perfect fit for the 3–4 defense and is probably the single best fit in the draft for the Jets’ needs. But it’s unlikely he’ll be available with the 25th pick, and to draft him the Jets might need to trade all the way up into the top 10.

As much as Tannenbaum likes to trade, that is unlikely. Trading up has its risks, as the Jets found out when they moved up to pick defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson with the fourth pick in 2003. Robertson is a starter on the defensive line, but he hasn’t been the kind of player the Jets thought he would be when they drafted him. In fact, the Jets might use their first-round pick on a replacement for Robertson, who is unlikely to stay with the team beyond 2007.

That replacement could come in the form of Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch, who is better suited to be a nose tackle in Mangini’s 3–4 defense than anyone currently on the roster. Branch was once seen as a top 10 pick, but he has fallen on draft boards because of concerns that he’s overweight and susceptible to stress fractures in his legs. Those concerns aside, if Branch is available when the Jets’ 25th pick rolls around, there’s a good chance they would take him.

Notre Dame defensive end Victor Abiamiri is also a first-round option, but if Carriker and Branch are off the board when the Jets pick, Tannenbaum could decide that improving the secondary is more important than the front seven. Arkansas cornerback Chris Houston, who was both the fastest and the strongest cornerback at the scouting combine, is good enough to start as a rookie and upgrade the Jets’ pass defense.

If none of his favored defensive players is available, Tannenbaum might decide that offense is the way to go in the first round. Tight end is the Jets’ weakest offensive position, and if he has a chance at Miami’s Greg Olsen, the best tight end in the draft, Tannenbaum will be thrilled. Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was previously an assistant with the San Diego Chargers, who use tight end Antonio Gates as the primary target in their passing attack. Schottenheimer would love to turn Olsen into that kind of a receiving threat.

If offense is the focus of the first round, defense will have to be the priority in the second. The Jets would strongly consider linebacker Zak DeOssie of Brown. The Ivy League doesn’t produce many NFL stars, but Tannenbaum often talks about the importance of drafting smart players, and De-Ossie qualifies there. A 6-foot-4-inch, 250-pounder with good speed, DeOssie (the son of Steve DeOssie, a linebacker and long snapper who played for both the Giants and the Jets in the 1990s) would be a nice fit at outside linebacker. Other potential secondround picks include Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard, Utah safety Eric Weddle, and Miami defensive lineman Baraka Atkins.

As the first round begins to unfold Saturday afternoon, the Jets’ war room will be active. Mangini will make a pitch for the player who best fits his plans, and director of player personnel Terry Bradway and director of college scouting Joey Clinkscales will also offer their opinions. But Tannenbaum has final say, and if his history is any guide, the Jets won’t stand still.

Mr. Smith is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.