2022 NFL Draft: New York Jets are the Big Winners of Night One
By Hunter Haas
The first night of the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books, and while many teams did well for themselves, there was a clear winner in my book: The New York Jets.
The New York Jets entered the night with picks four and 10 in the first round. With their first selection, they chose Sauce Gardner, a lockdown cornerback out of Cincinnati. He is built for New York. The flare he brings to the position is reminiscent of some of the best to ever do it, and you can guarantee that there’s a chip on his shoulder after hearing another cornerback’s name before his. He can immediately come in and cover the opposing teams’ best receiver, something that is necessary in a division that features Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs. Sauce Island is officially open for business.
With the 10th overall pick, they got Zach Wilson a weapon, adding to Elijah Moore and Corey Davis. Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson is one of the best route runners in the class, if not the best. He’s underrated with the ball in his hands and he’s going to absolutely thrive in the Mike LaFleur offense. Wilson has deceptive 4.3 speed and was ALWAYS open during his time in Columbus. The Wilson-to-Wilson connection is another gold mine in terms of merchandizing, I can see it now. What a haul with their first two picks of the event.
The team was not done though, as they moved up from No. 35 to land a pass rusher that they were linked to earlier in round one. Jermaine Johnson fits Robert Saleh’s scheme to a “T”. Johnson bounced around in college, and became one of the most popular players to ever attend Last Chance U. After gaining exposure from the show and dominating a lower level of competition, Johnson found his way to Georgia and then eventually Florida State, where he finally began to garner national attention. His bull rush is the best in this class and his frame allows him to hold up well versus the run. He will be able to chase down quarterbacks and running backs alike with Quinnen Williams and a healthy Carl Lawson as his running partners.
2022 NFL Draft: The New York Jets Hit the Jackpot
Jets fans have a lot to be excited about, leaving the first round with three players inside of my top-16 overall rankings is highway robbery. And the best part? The fun isn’t over yet. Joe Douglas and company will be up again in round two of the 2022 NFL Draft, as they still own the No. 38 overall pick. What else do the J-E-T-S jets jets jets have up their sleeves? Tune in Friday evening to find out.