Jets officially sign first round pick Olu Fashanu to rookie deal

The New York Jets officially have their left tackle of the future.

The Jets have reached an agreement with left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu on a four-year rookie contract worth $20.5 million. The deal is fully guaranteed and also includes a fifth-year team option. The contract is standard for all rookies following the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.

New York selected Fashanu out of Penn State University with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NFL draft in April.

After letting Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton walk in free agency following an absolutely abysmal season by the Jets front five, the Jets brought in Morgan Moses and future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith to bookend the Jets newly built offensive line.

Still, with the injury history of Smith along with the one-year deal, the Jets grabbed Fashanu in the first round of the draft to give the left tackle position some depth, and a future.

With the signing the Jets now have about $6.4 million in cap space and about $2.3 million in effective cap space according to OTC.com.

Fashanu was named a consensus All-American during his senior season and earned the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award. The Jets traded back one spot in the first round from 10 to 11 and selected Fashanu despite having already signed the two tackles.

The signing comes early in the process for the Jets who are usually one of the last teams to sign their draft picks. But they get the deal done with Fashanu quickly and now he can work to help the team in 2024.

Fashanu, for his part, as said that while he is most comfortable playing left tackle, a position in which he spent his entire football career, he has taken some reps at right tackle and would be more than comfortable filling in at left guard should the need arise this season.

While it may not be known exactly where Fashanu will play in 2024, it is almost a certainty that he will be needed at some point and the Jets will waste no time throwing the 21-year-old in the mix.