NY Jets Draft Report 2022

 Jets draft report 2022:

By Steamboatsam

After an electric round 1, productive day 2, and relatively quiet day 3, the 2022 NFL draft came to an early, but enticing end for the New York Jets. I’ll get into player specific thoughts later but overall as a fan I'm feeling hopeful, optimistic, and excited to see what is happening in Florham Park. Now that the majority of free agency and the draft have come to an end it's clear what the Jets mission this off-season was. Improve the defense and add weapons for their young franchise QB. Both of these goals seem to have clearly been addressed, but it's not over yet. The young talent this roster is filled with now must be coached up and begin to show improvement. I love how this year's picks are, for the most part, proven players with a resume and stats. In the past we've seen players be drafted for their “physical traits” and “immense potential”. While the prospects who were brought in over the last few days possess both of these, they are coming into camp a more polished player who already has the tools but now just needs to take it to the next level and refine their game. 

Now that we've got my rants out of the way it's time to take a look at each prospect and what I think they are going to bring to the Jets as well as the role I see for them in year 1 and beyond. Let's roll:

Rd 1 pick 4: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (CB): Immediate day one CB1 (19 PDF, 3 INT, 1 sack, 1 FF). I don't want to put too much pressure on the kid but at 4 overall I think it's almost a fair expectation. He’s most likely going to make the same rookie mistakes here and there but after not letting up a single touchdown as the primary defender THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE COLLEGE CAREER, my hopes are for sure high. He’s coming in playing opposite new addition DJ Reed. If this Jets team can fix its pass rush issues along with adding a lockdown defender like Sauce, this defense could go from worst to first (or closer to top 15 but after last season I'll take it). After the signing of Reed in FA and the development of Bryce Hall and MC2, this CB room is starting to look like a force on that side of the ball. Sauce should be a franchise defensive cornerstone for years to come. 

Rd 1 pick 10: Garret Wilson (WR): WR 2-3 (750-850 yds 5-7 TD’s). After failing to sign a big time WR the Jets finally address this issue with their 2nd day 1 pick. This one seemed like a pretty general consensus it was going to be Wilson or London. After London went to ATL, it was almost a guarantee who was going at 10 to most Jet fans. Garett Wilson is coming out of Ohio State battling for touches alongside one of the best WR room’s in all of CFB. And he still managed to shine. Call me naive but to stand out amongst an elite group of receivers has to mean something for the kid. With exceptional body control and yac ability I think he is the receiver who fits LaFleur’s scheme best of anyone in the draft. Coming in I think Wilson is expected to be a productive pass catcher but not at the same level as Chase and Jefferson's rookie years. A future 1,000 yard WR that can hopefully develop along with Zach Wilson.

Rd 1 pick 26: Jermaine Johnson (EDGE): Situational pass-rusher who has the potential to earn a starting role this year (7.5 sacks, 23 tot, 2 FF). I was originally not thrilled with the Sauce pick because I was in the “they need an edge rusher” camp. With KT and JJ both sitting there at 4 I was hopeful one of them would get picked. Guess that's why Joe D is the GM and I'm sitting here writing about it in my bedroom. After he slid past the top 12-15 I started thinking “ok trade up here we go”. The Jets must have had some inside info that he would fall because it worked out perfectly. Johnson is a JUCO product who spent some time at UGA before having his breakout season at FSU (12.5 sacks). A DE/OLB type player, Johnson is another perfect fit for the scheme Saleh and Ulbrich run. His pass rush seems to be fairly developed with moves but that could be attributed to his age (redshirt senior this past year), and his run support appears solid. This coaching staff has a lot to work with already so him making an impact and starting to slide into a more starter-type role early wouldn't surprise me. 

Rd 2 Pick 36: Breece Hall (RB): RB1 in a clear committee ( 800-850 rushing yards 8 TD’s, 250-300 receiving yards 3 TD’s). I love this pick. I fucking love this pick. Now don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of MC, but it's known in this system a committee of RB’s is preferred and I think Hall complements Carter perfectly. Connor Hughes from the Athletic said on his podcast that he thinks Hall will see a “60-40” share of touches compared to MC and I think I agree. Aside from the fact that he is a true home run potential in the run game, Hall is a productive weapon out of the backfield. Another target for Zach. He has potential to be a true 3-down back and comes in with decent pass protection. Draft him early in your dynasty leagues because here's a future multi season 1,000 yard rusher. 

Rd 3 Pick 101: Jeremy Ruckert (TE): TE 3 with possibly winning the TE 2 job (200-250 yards 2 TD). After adding Conklin and Uzomah in FA many fans throughout the Jets thought they should leave the TE room as is. I was not one of those fans. Coming into this draft I wanted McBride or Ruckert, and after trading away one of the 2nd rounders I assumed they would miss out on both. Snagging him late in the 3rd was a steal in my opinion. Though he didn't have the numbers in college, (played on an OSU team who featured star WR’s; see G. Wilson above) many analysts think he is going to be a much better pro player than collegiate. He has the raw blocking tools needed to be elite but has to be coached up on technique along with the ability to stretch the field and be productive in the pass game. The main reason I love this pick is because of what I said earlier, the Jets addressed TE in FA. This gives Ruckert the opportunity to compete for a starting job, but doesn’t have to be ready this year. If he beats out either of the vets that's just all the better. But with Uzomah and Conklin both on 3-year deals with outs attached, this puts Ruckert in a very promising situation to develop under one of the best TE coaches (Ron Middleton) in the NFL. Future clear-cut TE1 for Gang Green (something this team has lacked for years). 

*First time in the common draft era (1967) that the Jets have drafted a WR, RB, TE within the first 3 rounds.*

Rd 4 Pick 111: Max Mitchell (OT): O-Line depth/ development for the future. After investing premium assets into the offensive line over the last couple years the Jets finally have a pretty solid front 5. If everyone can stay healthy this unit could be a force. Mitchell comes out of Louisiana as a guy who can play either LT or RT (multiple starts at both in college). He’s durable, only missing a few games his entire career due to covid, having started since he was a redshirt freshman. Nothing much is presumed to be expected from him in year 1 but after creating a true starting 5 the Jets may be beginning to plan for the future by developing these day 3 picks over time. Look for Mitchell to be a potential starter in the coming years or a backup swing tackle for the future. 

Rd 4 pick 117: Micheal Clemons (DE):D-line depth/ development for the future: Clemons was a productive pass rusher for the Aggies but comes with some off-field issues. After having meetings with the team they seem to be ok with him as a culture fit but then again Jachai Polite was in a similar case a few years ago, and he got cut during his first training camp. The Jets seem to like this kid for his tenacity and motor, not so much his skills. Let's see if the staff can coach this kid up. Potential rotational pass rusher.