Ranking the 10 most important players to the future of the NY Jets

4. Sauce Gardner, CB, NY Jets

Sauce Gardner may not have played a down for the Jets yet, but given the length, skillset, and swagger he will bring to the team, it's safe to say he could lead this defense for as long as he wants.

A lot of young players on this Jets squad have been brought in to help Zach Wilson, and while Gardner's play will do that, he needs to bring energy and swagger to that locker room that will help everyone, not just one side of the ball.

The Jets have been losing for a long time, and it takes players with the attitude of Sauce to turn things around. If they can do that, we may be seeing a player that will go on to accomplish great things for this franchise.

5. Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, NY Jets

We've already mentioned Mekhi Becton, so let's talk about the other young offensive lineman that's been brought in to protect No. 2, the Jets' biggest long-term investment.

That would be Alijah Vera-Tucker, who, after his rookie campaign, looks like he could be one of the best guards in the NFL one day.

With Laken Tomlinson taking up the left guard spot in 2022, it's going to be a big adjustment for Vera-Tucker to move over to the right, but if he can feed off the energy of Becton, we could be looking at an excellent combination for years to come.