Ranking NY Jets' biggest NFL draft gems of the last decade

The NY Jets haven't always gotten things right in the NFL Draft. The franchise has its fair share of draft busts that will gown in Jets infamy, but they've also managed to find some excellent value in the form of draft gems.

This is the same organization that landed future Hall of Famer Joe Klecko in the sixth round. For every historic Jets draft bust, there's an under-the-radar draft-day steal. Those are the players we'll be taking a look at here.

So, what defines a draft gem? We're looking for players who were taken in the later rounds of the draft who far exceeded the expectations of their draft slot.

In theory, a player doesn't have to be a Day 3 pick to qualify for this list, but there will be an emphasis on later rounds. The later a player was drafted, the more likely they are to rank highly on this list.

It should also be noted that we're only accounting for what these players did during their time with the Jets. That means a player like Blake Cashman, who broke out with the Houston Texans in 2023, will not be considered.

Finally, this list is only exploring players drafted by the Jets within the last decade (2014-2023). Players like Brian Winters, Bilal Powell, and Jeremy Kerley would've qualified, but they don't fit in that time frame.

Let's take a look at six of the Jets' biggest draft gems of the last decade. Below are a few honorable mentions that just missed the cut.

Honorable Mentions: Nathan Shepherd, Bryce Hall, Ashtyn Davis, Brandin Echols, Marcus Maye, Joe Tippmann

6. Jordan Jenkins, OLB, NY Jets - 3rd round, 83rd overall (2016)

Jordan Jenkins' name is rarely brought up when discussing notable Jets defensive players of the 2010s, but the former Georgia standout quietly put together a very lengthy and productive career in New York.

A third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jenkins appeared in 72 games for the Jets between 2016 and 2020, recording 189 tackles and 22.5 sacks. Quinnen Williams is the only Jets player with more sacks since Jenkins entered the league.

His post-Jets career wasn't exactly memorable, as he'd go on to appear in just 11 games for the Texans in 2021 before finding himself out of football. Still, his five seasons with the Jets were notable.

Any time you can land a regular defensive starter for a half-decade outside of the top 80 picks, that player has to be considered a draft gem. Jenkins deserves to be remembered fondly in Jets history.

5. Brandon Shell, OT, NY Jets - 5th round, 158th overall (2016)

Another mid-to-late-round from that same 2016 draft class who developed into a starter for the Jets is Brandon Shell. The South Carolina product wasn't exactly an All-Pro level offensive tackle, but he did quite well for a fifth-round pick.

Shell started 40 games over four seasons with the Jets, spending the majority of three years as the team's starting right tackle. That's a success story for a player who was taken in the middle of Day 3 of the draft.

Shell would go on to start the majority of three more seasons after leaving the Jets, first with the Seattle Seahawks and later with the Miami Dolphins. He retired from pro football in 2023 with 83 career games under his belt.

Much like Jenkins, Shell was an average starting player during a time in which the Jets didn't find much on-field success, but he deserves recognition for exceeding expectations given where he was drafted.

4. Foley Fatukasi, DT, NY Jets - 6th round, 180th overall (2018)

A sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Foley Fatukasi appeared in just one game as a rookie and entered the 2019 season firmly on the roster bubble. It didn't take long for him to develop into a key defensive contributor that season, however.

Fatukasi played a career-high 40 percent of the Jets' defensive snaps in 2019, establishing himself as arguably the team's best run defender. His role would only increase from there, playing 47 percent and 53 percent of snaps in the two subsequent seasons.

The only interior defensive lineman in the NFL to finish with a higher Pro Football Focus run defense grade between 2019 and 2020 was Aaron Donald. Fatukasi was genuinely one of the best run defenders in the NFL during his time with the Jets.

After two seasons in Jacksonville, Fatukasi found a new home with the Texans this offseason amidst rumors he could return to New York. His development from a nondescript sixth-round pick into a rock-solid defensive standout makes him an obvious candidate for this list.

RELATED: Ranking NY Jets’s last 10 first-round draft picks

3. Quincy Enunwa, WR, NY Jets - 6th round, 209th overall (2014)

The oldest player on this list, Quincy Enunwa earns a slight nod over Fatukasi due in part to the fact that he was drafted 29 picks later, albeit still in the sixth round.

Enunwa's story will always be a tale of what could've been. The only successful member of the infamous John Idzik 12-player class of 2014, Enunwa developed into an important part of the Jets' offense.

He finished as the team's leading receiver in 2016, hauling in 58 catches for a team-best 857 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career from that point, and he'd appear in just one game after signing a four-year, $36 million extension.

Enunwa's Jets career could have been even more memorable had he stayed healthy, but even with the injuries, he still accomplished quite a bit for a sixth-round pick.

2. Breece Hall, RB, NY Jets - 2nd round, 36th overall (2022)

Breece Hall wasn't drafted nearly as late as the other players on this list, and perhaps you can argue it's a little early to put him this high, but it's hard to deny he's not one of the best value picks the Jets have made over the last decade.

The Jets actually moved up two slots in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft to select Hall, and it didn't take long for that to look like a wise decision. Hall was outstanding in seven games as a rookie before a torn ACL cut short what could have been a historic rookie season.

Fortunately for the Jets, Hall returned and showed no signs of rust in 2023. The former Iowa State star finished fourth in the entire NFL in scrimmage yards behind only Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyreek Hill.

Hall has firmly established himself as one of the best offensive players in the NFL by just his second season. He may not be a late-round pick, but landing a player of his caliber outside of the first round is enough to qualify him for a spot on this list.

1. Michael Carter II, CB, NY Jets - 5th round, 154th overall (2021)

On a defense loaded with star power, Michael Carter II often gets overlooked when it comes to national attention. Players like Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams, and C.J. Mosley have all received national recognition in the form of accolades.

Carter may not have their name value, but he's one of the best players in the NFL at his position. A fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, it didn't take long for Carter to find a home as the Jets' starting nickel cornerback, winning the job in his very first summer with the team.

In his three years with the Jets, Carter has developed into arguably a top-three nickel cornerback in football. His 0.594 yards allowed per cover snap ranked fourth among all 77 qualified cornerbacks (slot and boundary) in 2023.

Carter ranks near the top in every metric for slot cornerbacks, helping complete what is surely the best cornerback trio in the NFL. Not bad for the 154th overall player taken in his draft class.