Garrett Wilson's Week 3 outing continues his rapid ascent up Jets' all-time leaderboards

The New York Jets, working without wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and tight end Mason Taylor this past Sunday against the Detroit Lions, peppered superstar pass catcher Garrett Wilson with targets. If New York was going down, they were going down swinging, with Wilson as their weapon of choice.

Gang Green's biggest offensive star was targeted 13 times and hauled in 10 receptions for 107 yards and one touchdown. It was his first 100-yard receiving game since Week 14 of the 2024 season.

Not only did Wilson have himself a day in the Jets' losing effort, but he also moved up the team leaderboards, surpassing Jerome Barkum for the ninth-most receptions in franchise history. Wilson accomplished this in only 61 games, while Barkum set his mark in 158 contests.

If all goes well for the remainder of the season, Wilson should continue to rise up the ranks of the Jets' all-time franchise leaderboards, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich should make a point of that.

New York Jets need to keep using Garrett Wilson like the star he is

Week 3 was the first time in 2026 that the Jets targeted Wilson more than seven times. Considering the caliber of player the former first-round draft pick is, that should not have been the case.

Take the Seattle Seahawks, for example, who likely have a generational star on their hands in Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Through the defending champions' first three games of the season, Seattle has targeted the reigning Offensive Player of the Year no less than 11 times per game.

That's something the Jets should be doing with Wilson. Maybe he isn't the exact same type of player, but as far as New York's offense is concerned, he absolutely should be. Good things happen when you get the ball in the hands of your best player, and Wilson proved that this past Sunday.

Garrett Wilson has leveled up his game in 2026

While it's hard to imagine Wilson being any better than he's been in years past for the Jets, he has been so far in 2026.

The Jet Press's Justin Fried shared some of No. 5's absurd stats through the team's first three games, and it's obvious Wilson took some steps to make himself even better this past offseason.

One thing has been clear in 2026. If Wilson has a chance at a ball, Geno Smith is going to throw it his way, and there's a really good chance he's coming down with that pass.

With this pace, there's no reason to doubt that Wilson will go down as one of the best receivers in franchise history, and his ascent should only continue.

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