5 biggest needs the NY Jets need to address in the 2022 NFL Draft

The NY Jets organization can no longer be content with last-place finishes in their division and their perennial position as cellar-dwellers in the AFC.

Their inability to acquire and cultivate franchise-alternating talent in the draft has destroyed the credibility of an organization that was a competitive (and competent) organization throughout the 2000s.

In a league that encourages quick turnarounds via the draft and salary cap restrictions, there simply isn’t a valid excuse that the Jets could use to explain why they haven’t been competitive for most of the last decade. 

General manager Joe Douglas was hired in the summer of 2019, fully understanding the mess he was about to inherit from his predecessor Mike Maccagnan.

The six-year contract Douglas received mirrored Douglas’ belief that sustainable winning is built over time through the draft, with free agency utilized only as a supplement to homegrown talent.

The brunt of Douglas’ tenure with the organization has seen him trade once-thought franchise cornerstones Jamal Adams and Sam Darnold, amongst others, to create a stockpile of premium draft picks that would give the franchise several opportunities to add young talent to the roster.

Now, armed with perhaps the most valuable batch of draft capital in the entire league, the time to hit on the draft picks has arrived.

From the likes of early-round selections such as Zach Wilson, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Elijah Moore to the day three picks of the Michael Carters, Bryce Hall, and Brandin Echols, amongst others, the team has found some difference-makers and valuable depth from the last two drafts.

However, as the combined 6-27 record in the past two years might indicate, the team is still far from a finished product. The young roster showed significant signs of growth throughout the season, but there are still many holes to fill before the Jets can expect to compete with the heavyweights of the AFC.

Douglas will undoubtedly address some of these holes through free agency, but here we will look at the five biggest needs the NY Jets need to address in the 2022 NFL Draft.

5. The NY Jets need to add a pass-rushing specialist at the EDGE spot

Before the start of the 2021 season, the strength of the Jets’ roster appeared to lie in its defensive front. Unfortunately, injuries to prized free-agent signing Carl Lawson, Bryce Huff, Vinny Curry, and others prevented the team from being able to pressure the quarterback organically with their front four.

As a result, the team finished 26th in total sacks and 27th in pressure percentage amongst teams per Pro Football Reference. That production (or lack thereof) won’t cut it in Robert Saleh’s aggressive 4-3 defense that requires its front to pressure the quarterback to limit explosive plays.

Assuming Lawson fully recovers from his Achilles injury, the team’s lackluster sack and pressure totals should increase across the board.

However, the Jets would be wise to add a talented pass rusher or two to build depth within that position room and ensure that they have a surplus of players who can create havoc in the backfield and pressure the quarterback.

An obvious solution would be using one of their first-round selections on a deep and talented EDGE class. While it’s unlikely that either of Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux fall to the fourth pick, they would provide a considerable boost and upside to the Jets’ front if one of them were to fall.

If neither of those two was available, there are several edge options the Jets could explore at various spots in the draft such as Purdue’s George Karlaftis, Michigan’s David Ojabo, Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie, and several other intriguing players.

While some might consider an edge selection a luxury pick, the defensive front is the key to the Jets' defensive scheme, and investing in the position group would benefit the front and the back seven.

4. The NY Jets need to add athletic linebackers who can cover in space

In today’s NFL, where offenses continue to become more prolific and wide open, a three-down linebacker who can excel against the run and pass is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. 

Ask yourself or anyone to come up with a list of the top linebackers in the league. Of course, there will be some variance, but you’re likely to receive a list that includes the names such as Bobby Wagner, Fred Warner, Darius Leonard, Lavonte David, and more. 

What do all of these names have in common other than name recognition? They’re all players who can cover in space and make their presence felt from sideline to sideline.

Having linebackers of this mold on the roster makes it harder for opposing play-callers to exploit mismatches because of the balance and flexibility they provide for a defense.

The Jets are still in the infant stages of their transition from a predominantly 3-4 defense to the 4-3 base defense that Saleh prefers to run.

C.J. Mosley did an admirable job adapting to the rigors and responsibilities of a 4-3 middle linebacker, finishing fourth in total tackles, the team needs to continue adding talent to their linebacker corps.

In addition, Quincy Williams, Hamsah Nasirildeen, and Jamien Sherwood have intriguing skill sets that give them upside to developing into starting-caliber linebackers. Still, the Jets should not leave the draft without drafting a linebacker who has the talent to start from day one. 

Given Saleh’s history with San Francisco’s Warner, the team should target an athletic linebacker at some point during the first three rounds.

This year’s linebacker class is littered with talent ranging from surefire first-rounders Nakobe Dean and Devin Lloyd to likely day two targets Brian Asamoah, Chad Muma, and Brandon Smith. All of the listed players are three-down linebackers who would be instant-impact players for the Jets' defense.

3. The NY Jets need to add more offensive linemen to protect Zach Wilson

The Jets have prioritized rebuilding a much neglected offensive line in the past few years. As a result, 2020 and 2021 saw the team spend first-round picks on offensive linemen Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker, proof of Joe Douglas’s commitment to fortifying the trenches.

While the offensive line still allowed the fourth-most sacks in the league the past season, the unit showed considerable improvement across the board.

Despite the progress, the Jets’ offensive line still has some question marks. Becton missed all but one game this past season after getting rolled up on in the season opener, raising some doubt about whether he can withstand the rigors of an entire NFL season at his size.

George Fant did an exceptional job filling in at left tackle, but his contract status (scheduled to hit free agency after next season) may push Douglas to look to add young talent to the position group.

The Jets need a starting-caliber right guard in this draft. The team did well with the midseason trade acquisition of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to help stabilize the unit upon his insertion into the starting lineup in Week 11.

Still, his age and complicated doctoral obligations cloud his status as a sure bet for the Jets next season. After him, the Jets are left with Dan Feeney and Greg Van Roten, who should not see the field in most best-case scenarios.

Fortunately, this draft class is loaded across the offensive line with premium talent at tackle (Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, Charles Cross) and the interior line positions (Tyler Linderbaum, Kenyon Green, Zion Johnson).

In addition, this class also has considerable depth with several potential late-round gems who would thrive in the Jets’ zone-based blocking scheme.

The Jets are counting on Wilson to take a big jump in his second year as a starter. But, for that to happen, the team needs to continue to add talented players to the trenches to help bring the sacks allowed total down and open up more holes in the run game.

2. The NY Jets need to add more dynamic pass-catchers

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals winning the AFC two years removed from a two-win season and having the first overall selection is living proof of what can happen when a talented quarterback is given elite weapons to throw to. 

The Jets did well the last offseason to grab Elijah Moore in the draft and sign Corey Davis in free agency. Still, the team needs to add more talented options and depth to a receiver room that gave significant snaps to Denzel Mims, Tarik Black, and Jeff Smith down the stretch as injuries piled up.

Douglas has made it known that the Jets plan to be aggressive this offseason to add more talented pass-catchers to the offense. His plan needs to include finding a dynamic X receiver to pair with Davis and Moore and a makeover of their tight end room that produced so little production.

The upcoming free-agent class has intriguing options at wide receiver (Mike Williams and Allen Robinson) and tight end (O.J. Howard, Dalton Schultz, Maxx Williams). However, the team should still dip into this draft class to add more young talent.

There might not be a Ja’Marr Chase in this draft class, but as has been the trend in recent years, you can find depth at the receiver position throughout the draft.

Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson, Arkansas’s Treylon Burks, and USC’s Drake London are just some of the electric talents the Jets can find near the top of the draft. Any of these players would add a physical, aggressive presence on the boundary that the team just doesn’t have right now.

Tight end prospects such as Colorado State’s Trey McBride, Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert, and Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar are just a few options in a deep tight end class that the Jets’ scouting team has should do their due diligence on throughout the draft process.

To put it in simple terms, the Jets cannot leave this offseason without putting forth their best effort to add to the skill position groups for Wilson’s sake.

1. The NY Jets need to improve the secondary

The Jets secondary needs to make strides across the board next season. While Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, Michael Carter II, and Jason Pinnock all showed flashes throughout the season, the Jets would be wise to continue adding talent to the secondary. 

The Jets allowed the third-most receiving yards and third-highest completion percentage amongst all NFL teams. Although early-season injuries to veteran safeties Marcus Maye and Lamarcus Joyner certainly contributed to the unit’s struggles, the team was already working from a talent disadvantage before these injuries.

Perhaps the most worrisome trend with the secondary was their inability to force turnovers. The Jets recorded a measly seven interceptions, with only five of the interceptions coming from the secondary.

If the Jets hope to compete soon, they need to build an opportunistic defense that gives them extra opportunities to score with a favorable field position.

Douglas will undoubtedly look to spend money this offseason to bring in a veteran or two to fill some holes in the secondary, but he should also look to spend at least one of their five picks in the top-100 selections to improve the secondary.

In a class filled with intriguing prospects on the defensive side, the Jets will have multiple chances to land impact players at the secondary positions.

Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame), Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU), Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (Cincinnati), and Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson) are all candidates to be selected with one of the Jets’ first-round picks, but there are also talented prospects (Coby Bryant, Jaquan Brisker, Jalen Pitre) that should be there for the taking after the first day.

In today’s pass-happy league, NFL defenses need to build their personnel to disrupt the passing game to give their offense a chance to stay on script.

By upgrading their secondary through the draft, the Jets will take another step on their mission to re-enter the competitive echelon of NFL teams with playoff aspirations.