9 tight ends the NY Jets could target in 2022 free agency

4. NY Jets target: Mike Gesicki

Mike Gesicki is arguably the top tight end on the market this year. But the two players on this slide have one important distinction in common — I wouldn't expect either to actually hit the open market.

Gesicki has developed into one of the most productive and dynamic receiving tight ends in the NFL over the last few years. The former second-round pick hauled in 73 catches for 780 yards and two touchdowns in 2021 — his second consecutive 700-yard campaign.

At 6-foot-6, 247 pounds, Gesicki is a true matchup nightmare who can attack defenses up the seam and serve as a reliable safety blanket for a young quarterback like Zach Wilson.

That said, his deficiencies as a blocker (he's basically a wide receiver at this point) make him an odd scheme fit, and there's a good chance the Miami Dolphins place the franchise tag on him if an extension can't be reached. Still, he is a feasible option.

3. NY Jets target: Dalton Schultz

This is probably the player who most Jets fans have been eyeing. Dalton Schultz has broken out over the last two seasons going from a primary backup to one of the most productive tight ends in football.

After a 63-catch, 615-yard season in 2020, Schultz upped his game finishing with 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. He was a borderline top-five tight end in the NFL.

Schultz is everything the Jets are looking for in a tight end. He's a dynamic receiving threat, a more-than-capable blocker, and he's still young at just 25-years-old.

Unfortunately, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Dallas lets him walk. File this under the "hopeful, but unlikely" category.