Jets' First-Round Picks Each Had Shining Moment in Season-Opening Loss

Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson each made a play on Sunday that demonstrated exactly what they're capable of.

Author:
Max Goodman
Publish date:
Sep 12, 2022 6:00 AM EDT

In this story:

New York Jets

When the Jets picked twice within the first 10 selections of the 2022 NFL Draft a few months ago, trading up to grab another first-rounder, it was difficult to quantify the excitement surrounding the organization.

In a matter of a few hours, the Jets had added three impactful players at three incredibly important positions, injecting a trio of top-ranked prospects to their rebuilding roster.

Cornerback Sauce Gardner (No. 4 overall, Cincinnati), wide receiver Garrett Wilson (No. 10 overall, Ohio State) and defensive end Jermaine Johnson (No. 26, Florida State) each profiled as key pieces in what the Jets are building in Florham Park.

When the regular season began on Sunday, those three youngsters officially made their professional debuts, going to battle between the lines in an NFL game for the first time.

It didn't take long for each of those first-round picks to show just how talented they are, making a key play at their respective positions.

It didn't translate to a victory on Sunday—in what turned out to be a 24-9 loss against the Ravens—but it's a promising sign for a franchise that's desperately trying to return to contention.

New York Jets Rookie First-Round Picks Check Off Firsts in Week 1

Watch these plays from Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson, who each shined in their NFL debuts against the Baltimore Ravens

Sauce Gardner

Baltimore's quarterback Lamar Jackson tried to lob a touchdown pass over the secondary in the second quarter, but Gardner had other ideas.

Keeping pace with All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews, Gardner put his hands up at the perfect time, deflecting the pass and preventing a score.

It went down as Gardner's first career pass defended. It's only a matter of time until he adds an interception to his stat pages as well.

Garrett Wilson

This play was special.

Wilson came into the game for the first time late in the first quarter. On a third-down play, still in Jets territory, quarterback Joe Flacco was forced to evade pressure, eventually finding Wilson, who had scampered back toward the line of scrimmage on the far sideline.

The wideout hauled in the pass (his first NFL catch) and went to work, immediately making two defenders miss with back-to-back jukes. He nearly made it all the way to the first-down marker, getting dragged down after a gain of nine.

Wilson ended up with 52 receiving yards on four catches (eight targets). His long was a 19-yard reception.

Jermaine Johnson

With nine minutes left in the second quarter, Johnson came off the edge, beating right tackle Morgan Moses on the outside. At first, he missed Jackson, who had stepped up in the pocket. That's when he cut forward and pounced on the quarterback from behind, making the first sack of his NFL career.

The two-yard loss actually went down as 0.5 sacks for Johnson—Caleb Martin was also credited for half a sack on the play. Johnson made two total tackles in his debut as well.

Those weren't the only members of the Jets' 2022 NFL Draft class that checked off some firsts on Sunday. Second-round pick Breece Hall ran for 23 yards on six carries in his first NFL game, fourth-rounder Micheal Clemons registered his first career tackle and fourth-round pick Max Mitchell made his first career start (at right tackle).

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