5 edge rushers the NY Jets can target in the 2022 NFL Draft

The NY Jets have been starving for an edge rusher for many, many years, and while many thought Carl Lawson would be the answer in 2021, they can now use the 2022 NFL Draft to pair with Lawson.

No one quite knows what Lawson will be like after his unfortunate and untimely injury, but if he can be the player he was in Cincinnati, pairing him with a top prospect could give the Jets a dangerous duo off the edge.

With five premier picks in this year's draft, edge rusher will no doubt be addressed by general manager Joe Douglas, and if the team can get production out of a top pick, this could be a great defense for the Jets.

It may not be with pick No. 4 or No. 10, but the Jets are undoubtedly looking to add to their pass rush, and here are five options that the team could explore to improve this key position.

1. The NY Jets could and should target Kayvon Thibodeaux

Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux has been one of the most talked-about prospects over the last several years, and now that he is finally preparing to enter the NFL, there have been many questions raised about his work ethic, desire, and aggression.

While a lot of this is just typical pre-draft chatter, it has raised genuine concerns for teams drafting in the top-five, but when you look at film and see the drive and the pure talent, it would be a shock if he dropped past No. 5 overall.

Fans and analysts alike are split on the supreme talent that is Thibodeaux, but if he can play to his strengths and up to his potential for consistent stretches, the Jets may have an incredibly dominating defense on the way.