NY Jets: 4 early 2022 NFL Draft prospects to keep an eye on

At 1-4, the NY Jets aren't so much focused on contending for a playoff spot this year as they are setting a foundation for years to come.

In reality, that's been their roster-building approach for the last few years. But as we've seen, that strategy doesn't always go according to plan.

Nonetheless, the 2022 NFL Draft will present another opportunity for the Jets to continue reconstructing their roster. It will be general manager Joe Douglas' third draft with the organization and he'll hope to continue laying the groundwork for success.

Douglas' first draft brought the Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton and cornerback Bryce Hall who both look like long-term cornerstones at their respective positions. The jury is still out on the likes of Denzel Mims, Ashtyn Davis, and others.

Meanwhile, the team's 2021 NFL Draft class is already showing plenty of promise with Zach Wilson, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Elijah Moore, Michael Carter, Michael Carter II, and Brandin Echols all playing featured roles through the first five weeks of their careers.

The Jets have rebuilt their roster quite a bit since Douglas took over, but it's evident that their work is far from over.

They're set to own two first-round picks in next year's draft courtesy of the Jamal Adams trade meaning that they might once again be adding a pair of early-impact rookies on Day 1.

It's still very early, but let's take a look at a few potential first-round prospects to keep an eye on over the coming months.

4. Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina

The tight end position should be one of the Jets' biggest points of emphasis this offseason. The organization has lacked a reliable player at the position since the days of Dustin Keller and the stop-gap options haven't been enough.

The Jets failed to address the position adequately this past offseason adding veteran Tyler Kroft to supplant a lackluster group led by Chris Herndon (who has since been traded) and Ryan Griffin.

But despite their lack of talent at the position, the Jets continue to heavily feature their tight ends. Through five weeks, Griffin is second on the team behind only Corey Davis in offensive snaps by skill players.

That absolutely cannot be the case in 2022, and there's really no excuse for it to be the case in 2021.

One exciting prospect who's making a strong case to be TE1 in the 2022 draft is Coastal Carolina's Isaiah Likely. Likely is one of the most important parts of a talented Coastal Carolina team that's currently ranked in the top-15 in the nation.

At 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Likely has ideal size for the position that he blends with excellent athleticism. He's lined up anywhere from in-line to in the slot to even out wide on the boundary and could be a dangerous weapon for any NFL offense.

Likely might be the best pure route runner in this year's class, and although his blocking remains a work in progress, he's exactly the type of talent the Jets offense needs.

3. Keyon Green, OL, Texas A&M

The Jets' offensive line looks vastly improved through the first five weeks of the 2021 season. It's not necessarily a perfect unit yet, but since Week 1, it hasn't been a glaring issue.

However, there remains one obvious weak spot in the starting five — right guard. Greg Van Roten was signed ahead of the 2020 season to be little more than a stop-gap, temporary starter.

He was passable in 2020, but the former Carolina Panthers guard has taken a step back in 2021 and is significantly hindering the Jets' offense. Through five games he's allowed 21 total pressures which is far and away the most on the team.

The Jets will search for his replacement in the offseason, and one suitable candidate could be Texas A&M's Kenyon Green.

Green is a versatile offensive line prospect who has played both tackle and guard in college. He started the year at right tackle for the Aggies before moving to right guard and playing just as well.

He's expected to be a first-round prospect in this year's draft and could be an ideal target with that Seattle first-rounder.

At 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, Green blends power, athleticism, and intelligence making him an early candidate to be the top guard prospect in the draft.

The Jets could continue building a wall for Zach Wilson by drafting Kenyon Green.

2. Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

Cornerback seemed like a much more glaring need before the season started, but now that might not be the case. Most have been pleasantly surprised by the play of the Jets' young cornerbacks with the likes of Bryce Hall and Michael Carter II impressing through five weeks.

But this is still a very inexperienced secondary and the odds of the team finding their long-term starters on Day 3 remain very slim. The Jets could certainly still address the position early in 2022.

LSU's Derek Stingley Jr. was the consensus CB1 on most boards going into the season, but an early-season foot injury has sidelined him indefinitely and could cause his draft stock to fall.

Stingley isn't the only highly-touted cornerback expected to be available, however. Florida's Kaiir Elam is quickly making a case to be the top cornerback in this class and it isn't hard to see why.

Elam has all the makings of a superstar cornerback. He stands at 6-foot-2, 193 pounds, and combines that superb size with excellent athleticism and short-area quickness.

Elam has the closing speed to keep up with any NFL wide receiver and the size to match up with tight ends. His run defense isn't the best, but he's much more technically sound than you'd expect for a player with his athletic gifts.

Kaiir Elam could be a surefire top-10 pick before long, and that might fall right in the Jets' range in the first round.

1. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

This is already a name that's been thrown around quite a bit, especially on Jets Twitter. Few players in this class can already claim to be the consensus top player at their position, but Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is one of them.

It's rare to see center prospects receive as much as Linderbaum has through the first few weeks of the college season. And if you haven't heard his name already, prepare to hear it plenty in the coming months.

Linderbaum originally committed to Iowa as a defensive tackle but switched to the offensive line after he was buried on the depth chart. He's only been playing center full-time for two years, but he already looks like a future All-Pro.

At 6-foot-3, 289 pounds Linderbaum is a little on the small size, but he makes up for it with otherworldly athleticism, high football IQ, and overwhelming strength at the point of attack.

Linderbaum's background in amateur wrestling helps him anchor his body in pass protection and win the leverage battle more often than not. He's about as good of a center prospect as you're going to find.

The Jets do have Connor McGovern who will be entering the final year of his contract in 2022. Despite what seems to be public opinion, McGovern has played well this year and is actually Pro Football Focus' sixth-highest graded center.

That said, he does have experience playing guard and could shift over if the Jets really like Linderbaum at center.

Many Jets fans have seemingly already labeled Tyler Linderbaum as one of their draft crushes. They long for the days of Nick Mangold — and perhaps Linderbaum could be the long-term replacement the team has been searching for.