AFC East Draft Update: Patriots Rival Jets Grab Cornerback, Receiver in Top 10 Picks
While the New England Patriots have yet to make a trade and sit patiently with the 21st overall pick in Thursday night's NFL Draft, their AFC East division rivals got immediately stronger.
The New York Jets - who finished 4-13 and in last place in the division in 2021 - made two of the draft's first 10 picks and grabbed Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner (4th overall) and Ohio State receiver Garrett Wilson (10th).
The Patriots will be the next AFC East team to pick, ahead of the Buffalo Bills at No. 25. Thanks to its trade for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins do not have a first-round pick in this year's draft.
The Jets should improve immediately on both sides of ball with Gardner and Wilson. And they'll need to, evidenced by two blowout losses - by 25-6 and 54-13 - to the Patriots last season.
Gardner will help cover AFC East receivers such as the Pats' DeVante Parker, Dolphins' Tyreek Hill and Bills' Stefon Diggs. Wilson will likely become Jets' quarterback Zach Wilson's new No. 1 target on an offense that averaged only 18 points per game.
The Patriots enter the draft needing help at linebacker, defensive end, cornerback and, of course, Bill Belichick's favorite - offensive lineman. In various mock drafts, they have been linked to Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd, Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, Alabama receiver Jameson Williams, Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks, Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis, Boston College offensive tackle Zion Johnson, Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam and Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning.
