Ranking NY Jets’s last 10 first-round draft picks
By Justin Fried
![Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, and Garrett Wilson Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, and Garrett Wilson](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4172,h_2346,x_0,y_140/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/30/01ht8wdcrfd7sa4jjqww.jpg)
4. Jermaine Johnson, DE, NY Jets - 26th overall (2022)
Three of the remaining four players on this list are from the same draft class, which should tell you all you need to know about the Jets' 2022 class of rookies. Jermaine Johnson doesn't receive as much recognition as the others, but he proved last season that he should be considered a building block.
After a somewhat nondescript rookie season as a part-time player, Johnson broke out in 2023, finishing with 7.5 sacks and 16 QB hits en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Johnson led all Jets edge rushers in snaps last season, establishing himself as a three-down cornerstone of the team's defense. The future is bright for the former Florida State standout.
The fact that the Jets traded back into the first round to acquire Johnson at No. 26 overall makes this pick even better. What a draft class for the organization.
3. Garrett Wilson, WR, NY Jets - 10th overall (2022)
The second of three 2022 Jets first-round picks, Garrett Wilson has quickly established himself as not only one of the team's best wide receivers in recent memory but as one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL.
Wilson has miraculously managed consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns to begin his NFL career despite playing with an unreal eight different quarterbacks during that time.
He's primarily caught passes from the likes of Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian — not exactly a quarterback group conducive to receiving success.
Nonetheless, Wilson remains one of the focal points of the Jets' offense, with many projecting him as an Offensive Player of the Year candidate now that Aaron Rodgers is his quarterback. The sky is the limit.