Predicting 5 players the NY Jets will sign in 2022 free agency

The NY Jets are just a few days away from the start of free agency. Rumors are running rampant as we've begun to gain a clearer picture of just what Gang Green plans to do this offseason.

The Jets will have their eyes set on a number of notable (and some not-so-notable) names in free agency. With nearly $50 million in cap space, the team will have no shortage of financial flexibility.

Still, that doesn't mean the Jets will just go out and sign all of the top names. After all, they'll be competing with 31 other teams as well. Picking your battles is an important part of the strategy that is the entire free agency process.

With that being said, there are a few names that stick out as seemingly likely targets. Let's take a stab at predicting five players the Jets will sign this offseason.

5. NY Jets target: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OG

This one is more of a re-signing than it is a signing. The Jets seem likely to let the vast majority of their in-house free agents walk this offseason. Apart from your Conor McDermott and Will Parks-like re-signings, expect the Jets to let most of their internal free agents test the open market.

However, one player who has a good of returning is Laurent Duverney-Tardif. The Jets traded for Duvernay-Tardif at the deadline last year, and he went on to start seven games for the team down the stretch.

The veteran guard was an upgrade over Greg Van Roten, and while he may not have earned himself a guaranteed starting job in 2022, there appears to be mutual interest in a return.

I'd expect the Jets to bring Duvernay-Tardif back on a cheap deal where he can serve as important depth at the guard position. He can fill Greg Van Roten's role with none of the veteran's $3.5 million salary in 2022 guaranteed.

4. NY Jets target: Anthony Firkser, TE

In a roundabout way, this is also somewhat of a re-signing — or rather a reunion five years in the making.

The Jets actually signed New Jersey native Anthony Firkser as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard back in 2017. At that time, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Firkser was seen as more of a tight end/fullback hybrid.

He failed to make the team out of training camp and would spend could of months out of football before being signed on to Kansas City Chiefs practice squad in late November.

The following offseason, Firkser was picked up by the Tennessee Titans, and the rest is history for the 27-year-old tight end. Firkser impressed in the preseason and actually made the team's initial 53-man roster.

Over the years, Firkser has developed into a quality rotational tight end hauling in 106 catches for 1,107 yards and five touchdowns in 58 career games. He's a versatile player who can line up everywhere from in-line to H-back to fullback to even in the slot.

While his receiving production has been meager, Firkser is a strong blocker who could find a home in Mike LaFleur's offensive system. With many of the top tight ends off the market, Firkser is a very realistic player the Jets could target.

Expect the Jets to sign a mid-tier tight end in free agency before drafting another one in April. Firkser is as good of a bet as any to be that mid-tier signing.

3. NY Jets target: Quandre Diggs, S

If the Jets are going to make a splash this offseason, the two positions to keep an eye on are safety and cornerback. More on the latter in a little bit, but for now, let's talk about one safety who might be high on their list of targets.

Quandre Diggs has developed into one of the better free safeties in football and could garner plenty of interest this offseason. At 29-years-old, Diggs won't receive as much buzz as someone like Marcus Williams, who might just become the NFL's highest-paid safety in a matter of days.

Still, Diggs has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons and has proven to be a versatile defensive playmaker with exactly the skillset the Jets are looking for.

Diggs is one of the best ball-hawking safeties in the NFL with 10 interceptions over his last two seasons. His 19 interceptions since 2017 are tied for second among all safeties behind just Kevin Byard.

The Jets have made it clear that one of their top priorities this offseason is finding players who can create turnovers on defense. Diggs fits that criteria, and he also ticks a few other important boxes.

Although he's coming off a dislocated ankle and a broken fibula that he suffered in his team's season finale, Diggs has been an extremely durable player throughout his career. He's played all 16 (or 17) games in all but one of his seven NFL seasons, that coming back in 2016 when he missed four games.

Diggs is durable, versatile, and fits the ideology that the Jets are looking for on defense. This is a splash signing most of the fanbase can get behind.

2. NY Jets target: D.J. Jones, DT

The Jets have interest in retaining Folorunso Fatukasi, but it seems highly likely that he's priced himself out of a return. Fatukasi's large market means the Jets will probably turn elsewhere to address their defensive interior.

One player who makes a ton of sense is D.J. Jones.

Most expected the Jets to raid the San Francisco 49ers of many of their pending free agents last offseason, but a full-on raid never really manifested. That doesn't mean they can't return to that well this offseason, however.

Jones was a Robert Saleh favorite during his time in San Francisco developing from a sixth-round pick into a bonafide starting defensive tackle. And unlike Fatukasi, he has experience playing, and thriving, in an attacking 4-3 defensive scheme.

At 6-foot, 321 pounds, Jones is a big-bodied one-technique defensive tackle who can fill that Fatukasi role in the defense. He's coming off a 2021 season where he finished with a 73.7 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 18th out of all interior defensive linemen.

He's a plus run-defender who offers significantly more pass rush upside than Fatukasi does. His experience with Saleh only makes the move that much more likely.

D.J. Jones feels destined to be a top target of the Jets this offseason.

1. NY Jets target: Carlton Davis, CB

If the Jets don't make a splash at the safety position, it's probably because they went all-in on one of the top cornerbacks on the market. And of those top cornerbacks, no player feels more likely to be a Jets target than Carlton Davis.

A second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2018 NFL Draft, Davis has been a plus-starter in Tampa really since he entered the league. He's started 50 games over the last four seasons quickly earning a reputation as one of the NFC's best cornerbacks.

The Bucs obviously wanted to keep Davis in Tampa Bay, but the team decided to place the franchise tag on wide receiver Chris Godwin instead, allowing their young star cornerback to test free agency.

At just 25-years-old, expect Davis to have a very large market. Davis leads the NFL with 49 passes defended since 2019 despite the fact that he's missed 11 games over that timespan.

He has excellent ball skills, is an aggressive cornerback who — despite a reputation as a physical man-cover cornerback — has thrived in zone coverage, and is someone who only turned 25-years-old less than three months ago.

The Jets appear likely to steer clear of J.C. Jackson's market. Jackson might be the top available free agent at any position this offseason, but he'll come at a very steep price and isn't a great fit for the Jets' zone-heavy scheme.

Davis, on the other hand, will be slightly cheaper (although still expensive) and fits what the Jets are looking for on defense.

If you're banking on the Jets making one major splash in free agency, put your money on Carlton Davis.