Jets Country

Jets' Rookie Class Continues to Shine: 'We Have So Much Potential'

Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall were brilliant on Sunday against the Dolphins as this rookie class continues to grow, translating to wins.

Max Goodman

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At one point during the Jets' drubbing of the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, New York's rookie class got together on the sideline.

"We were like 'bro, we're so good. We have so much potential to be so good," running back Breece Hall told reporters, thinking back to that special moment. "We just gotta keep chipping away at it."

If New York's first five games this year and their 40-17 win over Miami are any indication, New York is doing much more than just chip away in 2022. They're in the process of turning this rebuild into a competitive club, a group that's led by highly-touted youngsters who are leaving their fingerprints on games each and every week.

"I think it's clear to anyone who watches our tape that we have a really cool nucleus of young men that are only going to get better as time goes," head coach Robert Saleh said on Sunday. "It's got a chance to be a really explosive group."

Fourth overall pick Sauce Gardner and Hall, a second-rounder, stole the show against the Dolphins in Week 5.

Gardner knocked Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater out of the game on Miami's first play on offense, forcing a safety on a cornerback blitz. Later, the corner snagged his first career interception, just a few days after he pointed out to reporters that he was the only defensive back on New York's roster that hadn't intercepted a pass yet this season.

Sure, Miami was working with their third-string quarterback. That injury to Bridgewater (on top of Tua Tagovailoa's absence) absolutely played a role in Miami's poor performance. Still, with Gardner's presence on the outside, Miami's dynamic duo of receivers—Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle—combined for just 70 total receiving yards.

"[Sauce] had a really nice day, I think we held those two big receivers to minimal yards," Saleh said. "To hold those guys down the way we did was awesome."

Hall, who ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to help ice the game, had more receiving yards than those two studs on one play. The running back hauled in a pass from Zach Wilson in stride in the first quarter, scampering for a 79-yard gain down to the one-yard line. He finished Sunday's game with 197 yards from scrimmage, the highest mark for a Jets rookie since 1970.

“He was awesome,” Saleh said of Hall. “He’s an explosive player. When we drafted him, it was because we needed a home run hitter on this team, and he did that. He had a couple of home runs today.”

New York's other first-round picks—Garrett Wilson and defensive lineman Jermaine Johnson—had quiet games on Sunday. Wilson had just 27 receiving yards, the fewest of his rookie year thus far, while Johnson didn't return after leaving the game with an ankle injury. 

That doesn't mean the rest of this class hasn't been producing over these first five weeks of the season. Wilson was unstoppable in New York's comeback win over the Browns while Johnson has racked up 1.5 sacks. Offensive tackle Max Mitchell (a fourth-round pick) is currently sidelined on injured reserve with a knee injury, but he played well before getting hurt. Others from this year's class—defensive lineman Micheal Clemons and tight end Jeremy Ruckert—haven't seen the field as much as their fellow rookies, but they've shown flashes along the way as well. 

Gardner revealed that the rookie class has their own group text as well, a way to keep in touch as they grow individually and collectively as a unit. 

"We’ve been great," the corner said. "All throughout the week, we always talk. We got a group chat, we say that we got to set the tone, we got to change the culture. I feel like we did it. It’s what the coaches want, to change the culture. I think we’re doing a very good job."

If that group can continue to blossom, along with last year's draft class—featuring quarterback Zach Wilson, offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, wideout Elijah Moore, running back Michael Carter and more—this franchise will be in good shape. They have the necessary core to continue striding toward contention.

As Hall put it on Sunday, this is no longer "the old Jets." It's "the Jets now," a team that's trending in the right direction.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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