New York Jets Training Camp: Which Rookies Will Earn Day One Starting Roles?

With the New York Jets Training Camp now underway, which incoming rookies will earn their spot on the depth chart?

The New York Jets cleaned up on draft weekend this year. The franchise entered the event with four picks inside of the top-40, and they utilized those early selections perfectly. Don’t let the final three picks get lost in the shuffle, though. General manager Joe Douglas added a few players in rounds three and four that will challenge for roster spots as rookies in the NFL. Of the seven total draft picks, what are their chances of making the roster and/or earning the top spot on the depth chart?

Max Mitchell, Offensive Line, Louisiana

Mitchell was a stalwart on the Ragin’ Cajuns’ offensive line for the past four seasons. The New York Jets selected the athletic big man in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Currently, the top of the depth chart features George Fant at left tackle and Mekhi Becton on the right side. Both guys are coming off knee surgeries, and neither has ever started a full season in the NFL. Right now, the backups are less than inspiring outside of Mitchell. Mitchell is raw and ultimately profiles best to play on the interior of the offensive line, but it’s reasonable to believe that he will win the No. 2 role at right tackle behind Becton for the 2022 season. This would leave him an injury away from potentially entering the starting lineup. Will he be able to make the most of it if the chance arises?

Michael Clemons, Defensive End, Texas A&M

Clemons is an interesting player to evaluate. On tape, he jumps off the screen. His ability to disrupt the quarterback ranked up there with the best in college football. The issues all boil down to character concerns. Clemons has been arrested previously, but the good news is that they were all non-violent charges. The Jets took a chance on a guy who is oozing with potential, in hopes that they will be able to help influence him in the right direction. As far as the depth chart goes, fellow rookie Jermaine Johnson (who we will get back to later) is slated to start immediately. Carl Lawson, the team’s biggest free agent signing from 2021, is in line to return from an Achilles injury that kept him out all of last season. Behind those two, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to predicting the backups. Bryce Huff and Jacob Martin are going to have a tough time holding off Clemons — assuming the latter can keep his head on straight.

Jeremy Ruckert, Tight End, Ohio State

The New York Jets signed CJ Uzomah away from the reigning-AFC Champion, Cincinnati Bengals. They followed that up by bringing in Tyler Conklin from Minnesota, offering second-year quarterback Zach Wilson two veteran options at tight end. That makes the prospects of Jeremy Ruckert seeing major playing time in 2022 unlikely. However, he projects as a legitimate three-down tight end going forward. Oftentimes, it takes tight end’s a year or two to fully translate their game to the league, so don’t be disappointed if Ruckert is locked into the TE3 role for a majority of the season. The best is coming for the former Ohio State Buckeye, it’s just unlikely to be in 2022.

Breece Hall, Running Back, Iowa State

Breece Hall has the makings of a feature back in an NFL offense. The speedy running back out of Iowa State routinely used his elite vision and strong one-cut style to carve up Big-12 defenses at will. The Jets’ brass took notice of this, and wisely selected the workhorse to lead their backfield going forward. La’Michel Perine, Ty Johnson, and Tevin Coleman have all found playing time with the Jets, but none of them are real competition for the younger, more explosive Hall. Michael Carter, a fourth-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, is going to eat into the snap count, but he’s viewed more as an elite change-of-pace back. They may give Hall a few weeks to get his feet under him, but he is going to sit atop the depth chart sooner, rather than later. One way to make your young quarterback’s life easier is to give him the freedom to hand the ball off to such a capable ball carrier.

Garrett Wilson, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

Speaking of making your quarterback’s life easier… the New York Jets got Zach Wilson a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft. While Garrett Wilson is not the biggest, strongest, or fastest player at the wide receiver position, he is as good as anyone in the world at one trait: route running. Garrett is going to consistently create separation from anyone who lines up across from him. He possesses masterful footwork and can run any route on the route tree. Elijah Moore is ready to take a second-year leap in 2022, and former top-five pick Corey Davis is still rostered, but it will quickly become obvious who the top option is in the wide receiver room. The Wilson-to-Wilson connection is going to be a major hit in New York.

Jermaine Johnson ll, Defensive End, Florida State

Jermaine Johnson got name-dropped earlier in the article, and now it’s time to move him into the spotlight. Johnson famously made a name for himself on the hit Netflix program “Last Chance U”. Following a successful stint in JuCo, Johnson found himself with the Georgia Bulldogs before ultimately transferring to Florida State. During his one season in Tallahassee, Johnson began displaying a knack for terrorizing the backfield. He racked up sacks and tackles for loss like he was taking candy from a baby. If you ask me, Johnson is instantly the best pass rusher on the roster for the Jets. He will challenge Carl Lawson for those honors, but at minimum, Johnson will make a significant difference for the Gang Green in 2022 with his added production coming off the edge.

Sauce Gardner, Cornerback, Cincinnati

Arguably the most exciting prospect of the entire 2022 NFL Draft is Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. The Jets undoubtedly were in the position to take the best player available approach, considering they sat at No. 4 and No. 10 overall in the draft. We know they eventually took Garrett Wilson at No. 10, but the guy who drips confidence went six picks prior. Gardner began his football career as a wide receiver, before eventually making the switch to cornerback full time. He helped transform the Cincinnati Bearcat program from mediocre to a top school in the entire country. Gardner spearheaded a defense that carried the team all the way to the College Football Playoffs. While they lost the game, “Sauce” still was able to solidify his pristine draft status with a stellar performance against fellow first-round pick, Jameson Williams. Now, Gardner is sitting perched atop the depth chart already, with his sights set on the top of the NFL. Gardner not only wants to be the best cornerback on the team, he wants to be the best cornerback in the league, period. And he is not going to rest until that benchmark is achieved. DJ Reed and Bryce Hall are great secondary pieces, but this is Gardner’s team now, plain and simple.

New York Jets Training Camp: How Will Each Rookie Fare in Year One?

Sauce Gardner – Top Cornerback on the Roster

Garrett Wilson – #2 Wide Receiver on the Roster

Jermaine Johnson II – Top Pass Rusher on the Roster

Breece Hall – Top Running Back on the Roster

Jeremy Ruckert – Likely #3 Tight End on the Roster

Michael Clemons – #3 Pass Rusher on the Roster

Max Mitchell – Likely Backup at Right Tackle

It is easy to see why the Gang Green fandom is buzzing entering the 2022 NFL season. The team really outdid themselves with this haul of rookies. Gardner, Johnson, and Hall are immediately three of the best players on the roster, and will definitely see the lion’s share of snaps at their respective positions. Garrett Wilson will challenge Elijah Moore for the top of the depth chart at wide receiver, but at minimum Wilson will serve as the No. 2 option in the passing game. Ruckert, Clemons, and Mitchell all figure to be primary backups as rookies, but all three possess starting-caliber traits going forward. Expect this crop of talent to help elevate the Jets to a much better record than their four-win campaign from 2021.