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Jets draft picks: Ranking 5 best combinations for New York’s two Round 1 selections
Other teams might be looking at Gang Green with envy.
With the NFL Draft getting underway on April 28, the Jets are one of several teams loaded with a pair of first-round picks. While it’s painful to have to pick so high once again, Jets fans should also find it reassuring to know that they have lots of darts to throw at the board come the 2022 NFL Draft.
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With an extra first-rounder coming from the Seahawks as part of the Jamal Adams deal from 2020, the Jets pick at No. 4 overall (their own pick) and No. 10 overall (Seattle’s). They also have picks 35 and 38 in the second round, as well as pick No. 69, for a nice package of selections inside the top 100.
With a myriad of holes across the roster, the Jets have a number of directions they could go to use their pair of first-round picks to try and FlexSeal the roster holes shut.
Here’s how Joe Douglas, Robert Saleh and Co. could work the board on April 28:
Combination 1
- No. 4: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
- No. 10: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
General manager Joe Douglas did a lot of work this offseason to make sure the Jets didn’t have to draft out of need in the first or second rounds. They won’t have to reach for prospects to fill needs in the first round. That said, they still have plenty of needs to address, and this is the best-case scenario for them in the first round.
If the board breaks their way, they’ll be able to land one of the top pass rushers in the draft at No. 4 with Kayvon Thibodeaux. The narrative surrounding Thibodeaux’s interviewing and a potential fall during the draft feels like more smoke than fire, as he was one of the nation’s most well-regarded edge defenders prior to the 2021 season.
At No. 10, the Jets get a top wideout target for Zach Wilson, with Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State. Wilson fits the offense ideally, though New York probably won’t go wrong with any one of Wilson, Drake London or Jameson Williams at No. 10.
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Combination 2
- No. 4: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
- No. 10: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The Jets are likely looking at Mekhi Becton’s third season as something of a make-or-break year for him: Joe Douglas isn’t one to take offensive line issues lightly, and Becton’s overall somewhat unknown status entering Year 3 in a pivotal season for Zach Wilson means they might want to shore up the line as best they can.
While Becton still has a year of great tape under his belt, a freak injury in Year 2 (and lots of minor injuries that robbed him of snaps in Year 1) means the Jets still have something of a question mark at left tackle. Taking Ekwonu at No. 4 is a high-priced insurance policy at the minimum. At maximum, should Becton pan out and play well in 2022, then the Jets will have bookend tackles for the foreseeable future.
The Jets had the NFL’s worst defense in 2021, something that Robert Saleh likely had many a sleepless night over. While New York inked DJ Reed to a deal this offseason, questions as to whether or not Bryce Hall or Brandin Echols are capable, pure No. 2 starting talents opposite of Reed are going to be asked. In this scenario, the Jets don’t wait until the 2022 season to answer those questions, instead getting one of the draft’s top CB prospects in Cincy’s Sauce Gardner.
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Combination 3
- No. 4: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
- No. 10: Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
Zach Wilson’s development is not a secondary task for the Jets. After swinging and missing on franchise passers in the last decade, they can’t afford to let Wilson fall prey to the same organizational faults that doomed Sam Darnold. Taking Garrett Wilson, one of the 2022 draft’s best wide receiver prospects, at No. 4 ensures that the Jets get the playmaker they need on the outside opposite of Elijah Moore without having to wait for who might be available at 10.
With how deep this draft is at edge rusher, taking an EDGE who isn’t Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux isn’t the worst thing in the world. Johnson is a polished run defender at minimum, and should he continue to grow his pass rush attack, there’s a good chance that he could be an under-the-radar steal in this year’s first round.
Combination 4
- No. 4: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
- No. 10: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
Consider this a “high ceiling” draft combo; This year, with a draft lighter on top-tier talent, it might not be a bad idea to spring for the prospects who have the most potential, rather than the highest floor.
Travon Walker’s stock has risen throughout the pre-draft process, and with good reason. While the sack numbers weren’t all there in college, Walker has freakish athleticism and explosiveness for him to translate at the next level: His 9.99 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) gives him comps of Myles Garrett and Jevon Kearse. He’s also very versatile and would fit anywhere along the line.
Stingley is a little bit more of a gamble with the No. 10 pick. While many consider him to be the best overall cornerback in this year’s draft, the fact remains that he’s dealt with a bevy of injuries during his college career. Tape above all else, but there’s questions as to whether or not that freshman year tape from 2019 will hold up in 2022.
Combination 5
- No. 4: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
- No. 10: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
There’s a chance that Evan Neal could fall — after all, there’s no telling how the top three picks will pan out — and much like the Ekwonu pick, this is made with equal parts insurance policy and protection for their franchise QB in mind.
At the back end, at No. 10, is Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton’s 40-yard dash time turned some people off, but he’s still considered the be the best safety prospect in years regardless of pro day testing.
Selecting a safety in the top 10 of a draft that has a decent amount of late-first- and second-round talents at the position might be questionable, but people don’t throw around “generational” for no reason.