5 most irreplaceable players on the NY Jets roster in 2022

5/4. D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner, CB, NY Jets

Yes, this is technically cheating. Through five weeks, the Jets have had the best cornerback duo in the NFL — and it's become impossible to argue that notion.

D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner rank second and fifth among qualified cornerbacks (at least 80 percent of coverage snaps played) in catches allowed. They rank third and fifth in yards allowed and are the sixth and seventh least targeted cornerbacks in the league, per Pro Football Focus.

No cornerback duo comes close to matching those numbers. Prior to Week 5, they were also the only starting cornerback duo to not be flagged a single time this season — and the less said about those Week 5 "penalties" the better.

Reed and Gardner have been two of the best players at their position this season which is why losing either to injury would be devastating to a Jets defense that has played well in recent weeks.

The Jets would turn to either Bryce Hall or Brandin Echols in the event of an injury. Hall and Echols are excellent backups who could feasibly start on sometimes, but there would be a significant drop-off in talent.

That's what makes Reed and Gardner so irreplaceable. It's not that the Jets don't have good cornerback depth, because they do. It's just that Reed and Gardner have been so good that replacing them is a near-impossible task.