2022 NFL Draft Order: Jamal Adams trade continues to benefit the NY Jets

When the NY Jets traded standout safety Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks in the summer of 2020, the future looked bright for all parties involved.

The Jets acquired significant draft capital for a player who no longer wanted to be a part of their future. The Seahawks traded for a player who many believed to be perhaps the best safety in the NFL. And Adams landed in a near-perfect landing spot with a defense that was supposed to maximize his talents.

A little over a year later, and the trade now looks like one of the most lopsided in recent memory.

The Jets are just 3-8 but their young core has begun to take shape. And one key part of that young core is rookie left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker who was acquired due in large part to the Adams trade.

Meanwhile, following an ugly loss on Monday Night Football to the lowly Washington Football Team, the Seahawks also sit at 3-8. Adams went on to have the worst season of his career in 2020 and hasn't been much better in 2021.

And perhaps the most incredible stat from this entire ordeal: the Seahawks' first-round pick (owned by the Jets) is actually ahead of the Jets' pick heading into Week 13. That's a development that no one could have seen coming.

The Jamal Adams trade continues to pay dividends for the NY Jets

If the season were to end today, the Jets would hold the No. 4 and No. 5 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. That No. 4 pick is courtesy of Adams and the Seahawks who could certainly use their own draft capital at this time given their immense struggles.

Sure, Seattle's difficult season has been due in part to Russell Wilson's absence. And even with Wilson back in the fold, it's clear that he's not 100 percent healthy.

But that only makes the pain of that loss of draft capital even worse for Seattle. Meanwhile, the Jets are sitting pretty with four potential top-50 picks in next year's draft.

As more time passes, the Jamal Adams trade could go down as one of the most one-sided swaps in NFL history. And it might just be the impetus for the eventual collapse of the Seahawks franchise.

The Jets certainly won't be complaining.