SI Predicts Jets Will Feature Four Top 40 Players by Season's End
At the start of a new National Football League season, it's important to remember that it's all about where you finish.
In line with that mantra, Sports Illustrated national NFL writers Matthew Verderame and Gilberto Manzano provided a 2023 Top 100 Players list with a twist. The players' rankings are not reflective of where the individuals currently stand in the NFL hierarchy but rather a projection of their status when the dust settles on the 2023 campaign.
If all goes according to predictions, the New York Jets will feature four Top 40 players at season's end. Receiver Garrett Wilson, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner all represented Gang Green in the top two-fifths of SI's NFL Top 100.
Rounding out the Top 5, Gardner was the top-ranked Jet as well as the highest-ranked player in the AFC East. Only edge rusher Nick Bosa (49ers), receiver Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and quarterbacks Joe Burrow (Bengals) and Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) are projected to have a more-productive season than the Jets' CB1.
Gardner led the circuit in passes defensed (20) last year but managed only two interceptions. An increase in takeaways will likely correlate with an increase in the lockdown corner's star power.
From "how the top 100 will look after the 2023 season" according to SI"
— 40 —
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Rodgers might not like this list after saying Wilson is close to being the best wide receiver in the game. It’s hard to argue with how explosive Wilson was in his rookie season, with 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns, despite a poor passing game for the Jets last season.
"He's special," Rodgers said of Wilson on "Hard Knocks". "He's so f---ing quick, I'm like missing the wrong shoulder. He gets out of his breaks so quick.”
— 33 —
Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
Rodgers won consecutive MVP awards before last season. After a year in which he struggled and threw for 3,695 yards, Rodgers is looking to revitalize his career with the Jets, where he’s surrounded by better talent and an old face in OC Nathaniel Hackett.
— 20 —
Quinnen Williams, DT, New York Jets
It took longer than expected, but Williams reached his potential with a breakout 2022 season. Williams, a ’19 No. 3 pick, had career highs in sacks (12) and quarterback hits (28).
DT Quinnen Williams (95) in the NFL Preseason meeting with the Giants
© Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com
— 5 —
Sauce Gardner, CB, New York Jets
Gardner made first-team All-Pro as a rookie and is widely regarded as the best corner in football. Playing for a defensive-minded coach in Robert Saleh, Gardner should only continue ascending for Gang Green.
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