Grading Each of the Jets First-Round Picks in the 2022 NFL Draft

Simply put, the Jets had an incredible first night of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Author:
Blake Pace
Publish date:
Apr 29, 2022 11:32 AM EDT

In this story:

The Jets were one of the most active teams in last night’s first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, not only utilizing their No. 4 and No. 10 picks but also trading back into the end of the first round to grab a falling asset. In what was one of the most uncertain draft classes of this century, general manager Joe Douglas was able to land three top players at three of their most needed positions. It’s report card time, let’s hand out some grades:

Grading Each of New York Jets First-Round Picks in 2022 NFL Draft

From two scheduled picks to a trade later in the round, the Jets hit a home run with their three selections on Thursday night.

Pick No. 4, Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner: A

New York Jets CB Ahmad Gardner at 2022 NFL Draft — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

For a team that spent the entire offseason bulking up its trenches with tight ends, offensive linemen and edge rushers, New York went to the perimeter for their first draft choice and brought in the No. 1 cornerback of this class in Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.

Gardner, the draft’s consensus No. 6 overall prospect and No. 1 cornerback prospect, fits a perfect athletic profile for this defensive scheme. He’s long, rangy and does his work best in a zone coverage scheme. His mid-air adjustments to the ball are beautifully timed, and he has a great feel for the football field by utilizing the sideline to cut receivers’ routes short. He resembles a slightly less physical Richard Sherman, who had an All-Pro season with head coach Robert Saleh and the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. While he doesn’t have that same play strength just yet, he’s still only 21 and has the frame that projects to add mass well over the next few years.

There’s been an ongoing conversation about how having a fantastic front four makes life easy for the secondary. The Jets, however, showed us last night they believe that one had wipes the other — why not let a good secondary make life easy for its front four? Gardner comes in immediately as their No. 1 cornerback, pairs nicely with free agent acquisition DJ Reed and gives a massive boost to what was one of the league’s worst passing defenses in 2021.

Pick No. 4, Garrett Wilson: B+

New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson celebrates NFL draft with Roger Goodell — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The theme of the Jets offseason, regarding their offense, has been to make life easier for quarterback Zach Wilson, and they added another great talent to do just that in Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson.

A swiss army knife of a receiver, Wilson can do it all in the passing game and has drawn multiple comparisons to Dallas Cowboys’ young star Ceedee Lamb or a young Odell Beckham Jr. on the high end, with a lower-level comparison being former Ram and current Titans Robert Woods. He has near-elite body control in the air, is explosive off the line and already has a fantastic knowledge for how to utilize his route leverage to create separation. Like Gardner, his physical profile leaves more to be desired, but he plays bigger than he is and does a good job staying aggressive at the catch point.

The only reason I don’t give this pick an “A” is because Wilson was not my top choice for New York, as I believe USC’s Drake London and Alabama’s Jameson Williams added a more dynamic element to this offense. Truly, I believe if Atlanta hadn’t grabbed London at eight then we would be here today discussing him as the offense’s new trinket. This is still a fantastic get for the Jets and forms a very versatile three-man set with Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and now Wilson. The Wilson/Wilson flight connection is about to take off, and it’s going to be a fun one to watch.

Pick No. 26, Jermaine Johnson: A+

New York Jets EDGE Jermaine Johnson celebrates at 2022 NFL draft — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After rumors started kicking up this week that the Jets were considering taking Florida State edge rusher at pick No. 10 and potentially even pick No. 4, being able to trade back into the first round and get him with the 26th pick is fantastic value.

Widely considered a top-10 prospect in this class and the fourth-best edge rusher, Johnson is one of the most refined and pro-ready pass rushers of this class. Productive but hiding in a crowded Georgia front seven, Johnson transferred to the Seminoles a year ago and finished off his career with a bang — leading the ACC in both tackles for loss (18.0) and sacks (12.0). He’s strong in both run and pass defense, has a long frame with a mean punch in his gloves and great lateral agility to beat blockers to the corner. He doesn’t have an elite first step and needs to play lower to the ground in the run game but can be utilized by Saleh in any situation and turn into a productive every-down starter.

The Jets do sacrifice their No. 35, No. 69 and No. 163 picks this year but, picking up a late third this year as well, it’s not a trade that’s too far off in their favor when comparing to the long-running trade value chart. You sacrifice a couple of potential future starters with those first two picks, but you do that trade 10 times out of 10 when you’re able to get a top-10 asset that was drastically falling.

Full Round-One Grade: A+

The Jets were a consensus big winner of the first round, addressing their top three needs and landing one of the best prospects in the class at each position. With potentially another solid starter waiting for them with the 38th pick tonight, New York has done a masterful job working through this draft class and should reap their benefits come September.

Follow Blake Pace on Twitter (@BlakeAndrewPace). Be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.