Ranking the NY Jets' top 12 needs ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft

The NY Jets have been a team struggling for the past decade, and most of this can be attributed to poor decisions from failed front offices, mainly during draft season.

While Joe Douglas has done a great job in his two years in charge of the Jets, his squad still has plenty of holes in it, and while the future is looking bright, it may be some time until the Jets again reach the playoffs.

The team hopes to be set with their QB of the future, as well as bright pieces along the offensive line, but with a lack of true talent surrounding them, the Jets have plenty of work to do. They started well this offseason.

The Jets added Jordan Whitehead, D.J. Reed, C.J. Uzomah, Laken Tomlinson, and Tyler Conklin (among others) — and that’s a good start. The team is also armed with five picks in the top-100 of the upcoming NFL Draft.

While this won’t all be fixed this offseason, Douglas has made a promising start, and two years into his tenure as Jets general manager, most fans like his work.

That good will only goes so far, however. After two years, these are the positional needs for the Jets, ranked from most desperate to fairly confident with what they currently have.

1. The NY Jets need to address edge rusher

The Jets haven’t had a genuine threat off the edge in over a decade, and after last year’s devastating injury to free-agent acquisition Carl Lawson, that sentiment still rings true.

No one knows what type of player Lawson will be when he comes back, but if the Jets can pair him with a top pick in the upcoming draft, they might finally be confident that they can consistently get to opposing QBs.

Many see this addition coming in the draft. If the Jets can hit a home run on the likes of Kayvon Thibodeaux or Jermaine Johnson, this might be a position that becomes a strength for the Jets over the next 5-10 years.