Ranking Best New York Jets Draft Picks During Joe Douglas Era

With the firing of New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas, here are the best draft picks made during his time in charge.

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas speaks at a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Jets moved on from general manager Joe Douglas, as he was fired by the team's owner, Woody Johnson.

After several years of failure for the Jets, Johnson has made significant changes this season. The owner decided to fire head coach Robert Saleh after five games, and the firing of Douglas indicates a complete change is coming for New York. 

While there were plenty of losses in the Douglas era, there were some good decisions made in the NFL Draft. Prior to Aaron Rodgers coming to New York, the franchise was considered to be a desirable destination based on its young players and talented defense, which Douglas helped create. 

With his tenure officially over, here are the six-best draft picks from the Douglas era. 

Alijah Vera-Tucker

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the most notable pick for the Jets was Zach Wilson, going second overall. Obviously, that selection didn’t work out. But their second pick in the first round was a solid one in offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, who was taken 14th overall. AVT has been a solid interior lineman for the Jets, and while he has missed a significant amount of time due to injury, he has been a good player when healthy. 

Michael Carter II

Possibly the best late-round selection by Douglas was the selection of cornerback Michael Carter II in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. While Douglas drafted two players named Michael Carter in that draft, the cornerback became the better of the two selections. Carter has emerged as one of the best slot corners in the NFL and recently signed an extension. 

Jermaine Johnson 

Jermaine Johnson, after a slow start, was proving to be a good draft pick by Douglas before he suffered a torn ACL in the second game of this season, The edge rusher came into his own in 2023. While he might not be a household name yet, there is still a lot of potential for the 26th overall pick from 2022. 

Breece Hall

Another great selection by Douglas in the 2022 draft was running back Breece Hall. New York selected him in the second round and he hit the ground running before he suffered a torn ACL in his rookie season. He provided quality production in 2023 and has emerged as a quality back as a rusher and a receiver. He is a valuable weapon in the Jets offense. 

Sauce Gardner

To lead off what became his best draft class in 2022, Douglas used the fourth overall pick on cornerback Sauce Gardner. Gardner is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league, even though he has had struggles with tackling this season. Despite that, there aren’t many teams that wouldn’t want the talented corner on their squad. 

Garrett Wilson

Even though quarterback play has been an issue for the Jets since he was drafted, Garrett Wilson has found a way to become one of the best wide receivers in the league. The talented Ohio State product is a crisp route runner with good hands. Sometimes it feels like New York hasn't gotten the most out of him, but he is truly a special talent and was a fantastic selection at 10th overall in 2022.