5 players most integral to the NY Jets' success in 2022

General manager Joe Douglas has done his best to reconstruct a NY Jets roster that was barren of talent and devoid of potential before he inherited it back in 2019.

Three offseasons later and the Jets appear to have laid the foundation for success in 2022 and beyond. Promising young players and proven veteran free-agent acquisitions now inhabit both sides of the ball.

On paper, this Jets team should legitimately be able to compete for a playoff spot in 2022. To do so, however, they're going to need a number of players on their roster to succeed and live up to expectations.

Let's take a look at the five players who are most integral to the Jets' success this season.

5. Elijah Moore, WR, NY Jets

The Jets have essentially reshaped their wide receiver room over the last two offseasons with the likes of Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, and Garrett Wilson representing the most talented trio of receivers the Jets have had in quite some time.

Of the three, no receiver is more crucial to the Jets' success in 2022 than Moore. The Jets have sky-high hopes for the former Ole Miss standout after a promising rookie season that saw him finish with 43 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns, despite missing six games due to injury.

From Week 7 to Week 12 of last year, Moore was legitimately one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. The Jets are hoping that Moore can pick up where he left off prior to his injury this season.

If the Jets are going to find success in the passing game, they'll need Moore to take that next step toward stardom in his second NFL season. We know he has the talent, now it's all about staying healthy and fulfilling expectations.

4. Quinnen Williams, DT, NY Jets

Quinnen Williams has been a very good player since entering the NFL in 2019. The former third overall pick ranks fifth in defensive stops (73) and sixth in sacks (15.5) among interior defensive linemen since his rookie season.

That's including his disappointing 2019 campaign. Over the last two seasons, Williams has been one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL, and at just 24-years-old, the sky is still the limit for the former Alabama star.

The Jets are just waiting for Williams to take that next step. Right now, he's very good. Again, 13.0 sacks over the last two seasons is excellent for a defensive tackle, especially one as well-rounded as Williams.

But he's not a truly great player just yet. The Jets know that he has the potential to be. Now, it's all about living up to his potential.

The hope is that Williams can ascend into superstardom this season, especially with a much-improved supporting cast. A healthy Carl Lawson joins the likes of John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Bryce Huff, and numerous others in what could be the deepest pass-rushing corps in the NFL.

That should provide Williams with everything he needs to shine in 2022. And if he does, if Williams can put together an All-Pro-caliber season, the entire complexion of the Jets' defense changes.

A dominant interior presence would allow the Jets to control the line of scrimmage and dictate the flow of games. Williams has been very good, but he hasn't been dominant. He hasn't taken over games.

If he does that in 2022, this Jets defense can be special.

3. Carl Lawson, DE, NY Jets

Quinnen Williams is integral to the success of the Jets' pass rush in 2022, but Carl Lawson is the key that can unlock the potential of Williams and the entire Jets' pass rush.

When the Jets signed Lawson to a massive three-year, $45 million contract last offseason, the expectation was that they had landed their best edge rusher since the days of John Abraham.

And throughout the summer, that seemed to be the case. Lawson was the unquestioned star of training camp and looked well on his way to putting together a career year in 2021. Then, disaster struck.

Lawson tore his Achilles during the Jets' joint practice with the Green Bay Packers, sending the defense into a tailspin that it never really recovered from. It was a brutal injury for a player who was arguably the most important part of that defense.

Now, Lawson is looking to return with a vengeance in 2022. The former Cincinnati Bengals standout is still making his way back from his torn Achilles, but the hope is that he could pick up where he left off last summer upon his return.

If Lawson plays the way the Jets hoped and expected him to in 2021, there's no telling what this defense is capable of. Lawson excelling would take the pressure off Quinnen Williams, the linebackers, and the entire secondary.

The defense's success hinges on Carl Lawson this season. Expectations should obviously be tempered given that Lawson is less than 12 months removed from suffering one of the most devastating injuries in the world of sports.

But if he defies the odds and shines anyway, the Jets will likely have one of the better defenses in football.

2. Mekhi Becton, OT, NY Jets

The Jets need Mekhi Becton to stay healthy and play well in 2022. Despite the persistent offseason rumors that they could replace Becton, the Jets opted to put their faith in their young tackle.

Now, it's up to Becton to reward them for that faith.

The 2020 first-round pick looked well on his way toward establishing himself as the Jets' left tackle of the future following an extremely promising rookie season. It's easy to forget now, but Becton was widely seen as one of the rising stars around the league.

In fact, a June 2021 poll of 50 NFL executives, scouts, coaches, etc. ranked Becton as the sixth-best offensive tackle in the entire NFL entering the 2021 season. That was less than 12 months ago.

Of course, a lot has happened in those 12 months. Becton reportedly struggled in the summer, suffered a serious knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2021 season, and was the subject of various rumors relating to his weight and work ethic.

But in reality, we haven't been able to properly analyze Becton since his rookie season. And he was damn good as a rookie.

The Jets don't have the luxury of quality offensive tackle depth at the moment. If Becton gets hurt or underperforms, all the Jets have are Conor McDermott, Chuma Edoga, and fourth-round rookie Max Mitchell to throw out there.

The team is putting all their eggs in the Becton basket. His performance/health will dictate the success of the Jets' offensive line and, in many ways, the offense as a whole.

1. Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

This one should have been obvious. The other four players on this list are important to the Jets' success in 2022, but none have the potential to make or break the season quite like Zach Wilson does.

The Jets have done their part this offseason. They've revamped their roster and surrounded Wilson with a more-than-adequate supporting cast on offense and a defense that, at a bare minimum, should be respectable.

Even if injuries happen and things go wrong (which they always do), the Jets have the depth to survive at most positions on the roster. This is a roster that should be able to play competitive football well into December.

But all of that will come down to Zach Wilson.

Wilson was legitimately bad for most of his rookie season. Yes, his supporting cast was far from ideal and injuries decimated the roster around him, but it's hard to look at Wilson's rookie year as anything other than a disappointment.

He has the potential to change all of that in 2022. It'll be his second year in the system and he has more than enough talent to help him succeed.

The Jets don't need him to be Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, but they need him to be considerably better than he was last year. With competent quarterback play, the Jets could legitimately compete for the postseason this year.

But if Wilson puts together another year like last season, not only will the Jets likely flounder, but they very well might be searching for a new QB yet again.