Hindsight is 20/20. Nearly eight months after Mike Maccagnan purged the Jets' roster of its aging, but well-known veterans, everything is crystal-clear.

He made the right call.

While the Jets are far from a Super Bowl contender, they're clearly headed in the right direction. Wideout Robby Anderson (assuming he stays clean off the field) looks like a budding star. Linebackers Darron Lee and Jordan Jenkins have made noticeable strides. Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a difference-maker, defensive end Leonard Williams a stud, and safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye future Pro Bowlers.

There's just one thing the Jets don't have: A franchise quarterback.

Will they get one in April?

The Jets pick sixth in the NFL Draft. If they want one of the top quarterbacks, they'll likely have to move up. The Browns (No. 1) and Giants (No. 2) aren't likely to trade their picks. But the Colts (No. 3) could.

NFL general managers regularly refer to a pick chart when determining the fairness of draft trades. The charts assign a point value to each pick, with higher picks being worth more points.

If Team X wants Team Y's pick, they'll combine a grouping of their own picks to reach a point value that gets close to the value of the desired pick. Each team's chart varies slightly, which is why charts are exchanged when negotiating a trade.

Below is an example of one team's trade chart from ProFootballTalk:

NFL general managers will refer to a trade chart, which assigns values to each pick in the NFL Draft, when determining the fairness of a trade (Photo via PFT)

Using the above chart as an example: The No. 3 pick holds a point value of 2,200. The Jets' No. 6 pick holds a value of 1,600. So the Jets would need to make up the difference.

Without taking into consideration compensatory draft picks, the rest of the Jets' picks hold the following values:

2nd Round: 520

2nd Round (Seahawks): 400

3rd Round: 240

4th Round: 92

5th Round (Cowboys): 33

6th Round: 25

7th Round (Seahawks): 7.4

If the Jets combined their first-round pick (1,500), one of their second-round picks (400), and a fourth-round pick (92), they'd get to 1,992 points. That's still a 208 point difference. The Jets would have to include a future draft pick to close the gap -- potentially a second- or third rounder.

Teams will use the same chart to determine the value of future picks. They'll estimate where said team will be selecting, then go from there. Example: A future Patriots' first-round pick is valued differently than that of the Browns.

Here's what a fair trade could look like for the Jets to move from the No. 6 pick in the draft, to No. 3:

COLTS GET: Jets 2018 1st-round pick (6th overall), 2nd-round pick (50th), 4th round-pick (102nd) | 2019 2nd-round pick [estimated between No. 15 and 20]

JETS GET: Colts' 2017 1st-round pick (3rd)

Here where things get tricky, though: The Jets may not be the only team competing for that draft pick.

The Broncos (5th overall), Cardinals (15th overall), Chargers (17th overall), Bills (21st, 22nd overall) and Jaguars (29th overall) could all be in the market for a quarterback. They too could want to move up. The Jets may offer a fair trade ... but it won't matter if another team offers more.

Teams, occasionally, will bid against each other, and have to give up more for the pick than it's worth. The Jets may have to overpay if they want to ensure they get their guy.

And it's gotten to the point where they may have to.

The Jets need a franchise quarterback. No matter the cost.

Connor Hughes may be reached at chughes@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connor_J_Hughes. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.