Examining the New York Jets and How They Changed Their Franchise’s Future
New coaching, a new general manager, and doing exceptionally well in the NFL Draft have the New York Jets on the upswing.
NEW YORK - The Jets and Giants have brought shame and disappointment to the greater New York football scene for the last five years. Both teams are 22-59 over the last five seasons, tied with each other for the worst record in the NFL over that stretch. However, both teams are starting to look like they are finding their way out of the depths of failure and scrutiny.
Last season the Jets finally got rid of the under performing Head Coach Adam Gase. They followed this by hiring Robert Salah, the standout defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49rs during their super bowl appearance the year prior. The ownership for the Jets also hired Joe Douglas as general manager, a proven winner in this league’s front offices, who immediately has rehauled over 90% of the roster since he started.
They had a successful first draft and offseason in 2021, which parlayed into having two of the top ten picks in this year’s draft. The Jets ended the draft with three first-round picks and seven total selections:
Round 1, Pick 4: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
Round 1, Pick 10: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Round 1, Pick 26: Jermaine Johnson II, DE, Florida State
Round 2, Pick 36: Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
Round 3, Pick 101: Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State
Round 4, Pick 111: Max Mitchell, OT, Louisiana
Round 4, Pick 117: Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M
Starting with their three first-round selections, every single one of them had top ten grades. Sauce Gardner was, for many, the top cornerback in the draft and will bring elite swag, energy, and lockdown talent on the outside for Saleh’s defense. Garrett Wilson was for many people the top wide receiver in the draft and for good reason.
Wilson is twitchy, has quick feet, good route running, a big catch radius, and soft hands, everything the Jets could ask to help their young QB grow. Finally, every year a “consensus” top ten pick drops deeper and deeper into the first round as the cameras follow them checking their phones in the green room. This year it was FSU defensive end Jermaine Johnson II, who sat waiting for his name to be called until Joe Douglas and the Jets traded up to get him at 26. Here, the Jets scored an NFL-ready pass rusher will top-end talent who can become the steal of the draft.
After the first round, they made good value picks all around. One being, their third-round pick Jeremey Ruckert, who the Jets staff coached at the senior bowl. Ruckert provides a big body tight end who can block and develop into a red zone target for Zach Wilson. They even found a couple of gems in the fourth round. Max Mitchell, a solid lineman who can provide depth at that position, and Michael Clemons who many considered a first-round talent who may have slid because of some off-the-field issues.
However, just like for Jermaine Johnson, the Jets traded up to get their guy in the second round: Breece Hall, the top running back in the draft. With the devaluing of running backs in the NFL, he slipped into the second round where the Jets may have gotten another steal of the draft. Hall, who put up video game numbers in college (has scored in every game he's played in since 2019), paired with last year's selection in Michael Carter may give the Jets one of the best backfields in the whole NFL.
Now, some people might say, “The Jets always mess up in the NFL Draft.” Hysterically, that’s difficult to argue against. With Douglass guiding the Jets selections during the NFL Draft, well, let’s just say it’s a far different situation than what was presented during most of the past 30 years. Indeed, the Jets are looking to be headed for far better times with all their new additions with coaching, the front office, and via the NFL Draft.
