3 NY Jets who improved the most during the 2021 season

The 2021 season wasn't especially kind to the NY Jets. While there were certainly some positive takeaways from the four-win campaign, injuries and lackluster performances put a damper on things in a hurry.

Expectations were always low, however, so the Jets' four-win season shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Overall, the roster just wasn't very good.

Poor quarterback play, a disappointing season from the receiving corps, and an underperforming defense led the way for a 4-13 team. The future may look brighter in comparison, but the present was rather dim.

That's not to say there weren't encouraging aspects of the 2021 season, though. From magical moments like Mike White mania to thrilling upsets like the Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans, the Jets had some things to celebrate.

Rookies like Elijah Moore, Michael Carter, and Alijah Vera-Tucker established themselves as building blocks for the future while Zach Wilson showed progress as the year went on.

On top of that, a number of returning players made important strides throughout the season showing significant improvement. Those are the players we're going to talk about today.

Let's take a look at three Jets players who improved the most in 2021.

3. Bryce Hall, CB, NY Jets

The Jets asked a lot of Bryce Hall in 2021. A fifth-round pick a year earlier, Hall missed half of his rookie season recovering from a devastating ankle injury that cut his college career short and caused him to drop significantly in the 2020 NFL Draft.

While Hall held his own as a rookie, it seemed like a major gamble to entrust a former fifth-round pick with just eight career games played to be the team's No. 1 cornerback in 2021.

Yet, Hall managed to exceed all expectations and establish himself as not only a starting-caliber cornerback, but someone who played like a legitimate CB1.

Hall finished second in the NFL in passes defended behind just Marshon Lattimore and was one of only a handful of Jets players to appear in all 17 games in 2021.

Hall's 64.5 PFF coverage grade ranked 18th in the NFL among cornerbacks to play at least 80 percent of coverage snaps. Again, he was a borderline CB1 this past season.

Given his lack of experience heading into the year, that's nothing short of extraordinary. Jets fans should remember a similar story with Blessuan Austin, another former Day 3 pick whose draft stock dropped because of injury.

Austin, like Hall, missed the first half of his rookie season before returning and showing significant promise down the stretch. The Jets entrusted him with a starting role in his second season, but he never lived up to the hype.

Bryce Hall did, and the progress he showed from year one to year two is what lands him on this list.

2. Braxton Berrios, WR, NY Jets

In a season that saw more than one disappointment at the wide receiver position, Braxton Berrios made sure to make the most of his playing time and establish himself as one of the key players in the Jets' offense by the season's end.

A former waiver-wire pickup, Berrios had primarily been a special-teamer in his time with the Jets. He'd served as an uber-reliable return man and a capable backup slot receiver.

That was expected to be his role once again in 2021. But Berrios did his best to force his way onto the field.

The Miami product finished with a career-high 46 catches for 431 yards and four total touchdowns including 20 catches for 219 yards over his final four games of the season.

On top of that, Berrios proved that he was more than just a reliable returner earning his first All-Pro nod after leading the NFL in yards per kick return and finishing second in yards per punt return.

While many have been clamoring for Berrios to get more opportunities dating back to last season, he's undoubtedly one of the most improved players on the roster.

Berrios could be a legitimate starting slot receiver on many teams, and when coupled with his elite special-teams contributions, his value is undeniable.

A free agent in the offseason, Berrios might just be the most important player the Jets are looking to re-sign. And that's a notion that few would have believed going into the year.

1. George Fant, OT, NY Jets

This one was fairly obvious. Viewed as more of a fringe starter than anything going into the year, George Fant proved to be one of the best overall players on the Jets roster in 2021.

Fant's first season in green and white was rather lackluster as the former Seattle Seahawks swing tackle finished with a lowly 61.6 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 64th out of 79 qualified offensive tackles.

The expectation was that Fant would compete with the newly-signed Morgan Moses for the right tackle job in the summer. Fant actually managed to win the job and start Week 1 on the right side, but an injury to Mekhi Becton changed everything.

Suddenly, Fant was asked to play his natural position of left tackle again, and he would go on to start 15 games at that spot. The 29-year-old was legitimately one of the best pass-blocking left tackles in football this past season.

Fant allowed just 18 pressures in 15 starts which ranked second among all left tackles in the NFL. Only Andrew Whitworth and Tristan Wirfs allowed fewer pressures among all qualified offensive tackles in the league.

It's unclear what the future holds for Fant with Becton expected to return in 2022. But that doesn't change the fact that he put together easily the best season of his career this past year.

No Jets player showed more improvement from 2020 to 2021 than George Fant did.