The Jets once used four first-round draft picks in 2000 to build a permanent contender for the playoffs.
Can a repetition of history be expected?
The Jets made four of the top 36 picks, including three in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, as they try to build a team that will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Under pressure to present a major third draft at the top, general manager Joe Douglas may have presented the Jets’ best project … on paper. They will be out on the field soon.
Here are The Post’s ratings for the Jets draft class:
Round 1, No. 4 overall: Gardner Sauce (CB, Cincinnati)
Forget all this talk about how head coach Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme doesn’t value cornerbacks. Gardner was the best player available – and the Jets added him with a chip on his shoulder as the Texans took cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. in front of him. He conceded 13 catches for 117 yards last season and missed a touchdown in 33 career games. A big leap in the competition is ahead, but his self-confidence is unshakable.
Rating: A
Ahmad Gardner, Getty Images
Round 1, No. 10 overall: Gareth Wilson (WR, Ohio)
How about an intelligent process? After reportedly proposing the 49ers choice for Deebo Samuel’s successor and was turned down, Douglas had to decide between Wilson and champion Jermaine Johnson. He correctly predicted what was to come – running receivers – and took the second of four in an interval of five choices. Wilson made 70 assists of 1,058 yards – long after a break in a fight or chase – and 12 touchdowns last season.
Rating: A
Round 1, No. 26 overall: Jermaine Johnson (EDGE, FL)
The Jets came out with three of their top eight ranked players – a coup, as long as their ratings are correct. It was clear that the other teams were not so high in the one-year miracle, and the Georgia transfer was still slipping away. Saleh called Johnson “the best professional of all passers-by this year”, which is a big statement when the first two elections were passers-by. Johnson’s 254-pound frame is not suitable for all defenses, but it is for Saleh’s wide 9.
Rating: A
Get the latest updates for every New York Jets selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, plus a New York Post hometown analysis.
Round 2, No. 36 overall: Breece Hall (RB, Iowa State)
The Jets were so overwhelmed with elections from past deals that they could rise from № 35 to № 26 without giving up from № 38. This became great when they wanted to rise again from № 38 to № 36 to jump the Texans for the first running back. Hall has the perfect set of skills: a strong and elusive runner, reliable hands, clean routes and powerful protection when crossing. He scored 56 touchdowns in 36 college games.
Rating: A
Bryce Hall runs with the ball to Iowa. Getty Images
Round 3, No. 101 overall: Jeremy Rockert (TE, Ohio)
A curious choice, given that the Jets spent $ 44.2 million ($ 25 million guaranteed) on free agents CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. But the Jets were crushed against Rockert at the Senior Bowl – returning the love that Jets fans have had for them for the rest of their lives – and took the chance to take the best player available as insurance instead of meeting greater needs. Ruckert is already an advanced blocker from Ohio, but he has untapped potential.
Rating: B
Round 4, No. 111 overall: Max Mitchell (OT, Louisiana)
Mitchell is certainly not ready to take down Mehmy Becton or George Fant, as he would be a player in the first round if the Jets went in that direction. He played teams on both sides and a guard in his career as a three-year starter – after starting just one year for his team in high school. The best case as a rookie is to displace the Plague of Edoga as a swing.
Rating: C
Round 4, No. 117 overall: Michael Clemens (EDGE, Texas A&M)
The 25-year-old Clemens first enrolled in a public college in 2015, but last season was his first with more than four layoffs (7.5). He comes with red flags after two arrests within three months, including a gun charge. The Jets believe in throwing waves from fresh feet to the offensive line and he will be added to the rotation.
Rating: B-
Overall grade of the project class: A
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