Three Jets' Players Thrive Under 25

Trio of recent draft picks grouped amongst NFL's best young performers

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets certainly haven't hit on every draft pick during general manager Joe Douglas's tenure, but there is no shortage of young talent on the roster. 

Three of Douglas's recent selections landed on NFL.com's 23-member "All-Under-25 Team." 

The collection of rising stars featured 12 offensive players and 11 defenders with one "flex" position amongst the ranks on both sides of the ball.

Jets occupied spots at running back, offensive guard and cornerback with Breece Hall, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Sauce Gardner all making the cut. The Green & White tied the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with a league-high three "Under 25" representatives.

The Gang Green triumvirate does not include the soon-to-be 23-year-old Garrett Wilson, who gained over 1,100 yards receiving despite the team's less-than-favorable quarterback situation last fall. The 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year proved to be one of the league's top young receiving talents, but there was only room for three receivers — Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, Cee Dee Lamb (flex) — on the All-Under-25 Team Offense.

Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is another young Jets' star who did not appear on the list, but his absence is to due a lack of qualification. Williams is still on his rookie contract (fifth-year option), but he turned 25 years old this past December.

Hall made the list despite playing only 6.5 games due to a Week 7 rookie season-ending ACL tear in Denver. The 2022 second-round draft pick totaled 681 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns over the small sample size. 

SI Fantasy's Michael Fabiano sees Hall as the RB10 in PPR formats, placing the Iowa State product at No. 25 overall in his latest "2023 Fantasy Football Top 200 Rankings." The Jets' RB1, who is "already hitting over 22 [mph] on the GPS" according to head coach Robert Saleh, will likely see a limited workload during training camp as he battles back from injury.

Vera-Tucker is also coming off season-ending surgery, but has shown great promise over his 23 career NFL starts. The 2021 first-rounder received a rave review from NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks last month, appearing on the former pro's "All-Breakout Team." 

The versatile Vera-Tucker has filled in at tackle, but is viewed as a foundational piece at guard by Jets' brass.

The 22-year-old Gardner is arguably the most-deserving Jet to earn a spot on the All-Under-25 Team. 

As a first-year pro, Gardner led the NFL in passes defensed (20). The 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year allowed only one touchdown and limited opposing passers to a 62.3 QB rating when targeted over 17 starts.

RB Breece Hall pulls weight at Jets' OTAs / © Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com

Excerpts from "2023 NFL All-Under-25 Team":

RB: Breece Hall

New York Jets · Age: 22

Sure, he missed most of his rookie season after suffering an ACL tear, but the football world saw enough from Hall to know he's special. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his seven games, scored five total touchdowns, and did so while starting just twice. Had he remained healthy, his greatest competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year would have been his teammate Garrett Wilson, the eventual OROY winner. I believe a healthy Hall likely would have won the award over Wilson, too.

OG: Alijah Vera-Tucker

New York Jets · Age: 24

Vera-Tucker was playing premier football before he went down with a season-ending triceps tear in 2022. It's no coincidence his injury (in addition to the loss of Breece Hall) almost immediately preceded the Jets’ downturn last season. It appears Vera-Tucker was well worth the first-round pick the team spent on him in 2021.

CB: Sauce Gardner

New York Jets · Age: 22

Gardner's ascension to Defensive Rookie of the Year might have felt tinged with hyperbole. He has a magnetic personality, a cool nickname and a wing sauce deal. But the tape doesn't lie: Gardner was elite in his first NFL season. He should continue play at that level (if not an even higher one) in the years ahead.

Who are the NFL's brightest young talents heading into the 2023 season? @TheNickShook reveals his All-Under-25 Team, highlighting the league's rising stars at each position.https://t.co/WflVgTsFGS pic.twitter.com/jnjm98Hhw6

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 2, 2023

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