It is fair to say that 2021 was an underwhelming season for the Jets. Robert Saleh struggled to translate his defensive success in his first season with the team. On offense, Zach Wilson struggled more than any other rookie quarterback to adjust to the demands of the NFL. The team managed to win just four games and missed the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season. It certainly feels like the only way to go from here is upwards.
Offseason additions and losses
Unlike their division rivals Miami, the Jets didn’t exactly make many splashes in free agency this offseason. They added C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin to bolster a notoriously poor tight end room, whilst adding some extra help along the offensive line with former 49ers guard Laken Tomlinson. The biggest addition came in the form of D.J. Reed, who joined from Seattle to bolster the Jets’ secondary, signing a three-year, $32 million deal.
In terms of departures, the Jets saw four fairly prominent names move on to pastures new. Morgan Moses, who started 16 games at right tackle last season, departed for Baltimore. Jamison Crowder, who commanded 71 targets in 2021, left for divisional rivals Buffalo. The team also said goodbye to defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi and safety Marcus Maye, who ended up in Jacksonville and New Orleans respectively.
2022 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.4 | Ahmad Gardner – CB, Cincinnati |
| 1.10 | Garrett Wilson – WR, Ohio State |
| 1.26 | Jermaine Johnson – EDGE, Florida State |
| 2.35 | Breece Hall – RB, Iowa State |
| 3.101 | Jeremy Ruckert – TE, Ohio State |
| 4.111 | Max Mitchell – OT, Louisiana |
| 4.117 | Michael Clemons – EDGE, Texas A&M |
There are good drafts, and then there are great ones. The Jets’ draft falls firmly into the latter category. It is admittedly difficult to have a bad draft class with four selections inside the top 40 picks, but even accounting for the draft capital it was an impressive haul. Gardner gives them the player with legitimate CB1 potential that they so desperately need. Wilson gives them an exciting weapon opposite Elijah Moore, whilst Jermaine Johnson bolsters a defensive line that has struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks in recent years. Perhaps the biggest impact in 2022 will come from Breece Hall, who looks set to be the Jets’ feature back.
Offense
It is safe to say that the first year with Zach Wilson under center was a struggle. Some will certainly find causes for optimism. For starters, Wilson showed a significant improvement in the second half of the year. Before his week seven injury he had just four touchdowns and nine picks in six starts. Through his last seven he threw five touchdowns and just two picks. These numbers aren’t particularly impressive, but there were certainly some signs of improvement down the stretch.
Wilson will now enter 2022 with a year of NFL experience under his belt and a revamped offense. Adding Garrett Wilson was a key move, giving them a true WR1 to work opposite Elijah Moore. They will now also be able to rely on their running game thanks to the addition of Breece Hall, easing the burden of expectation on their quarterback. Bringing in Laken Tomlinson to start at left guard was an underrated move too and should help offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to successfully operate the wide zone concepts that his offense is built around.
With all of the investment made, the performance of this unit really will come down to how much Wilson improves in his second season. Though there are glimmers of hope, there are also reasons to panic. His quarterback efficiency rating of -0.028 was easily the worst of any starter in 2021. It was also the worst single season total in a single season since Blaine Gabbert in 2011. In a tough division and with a noticeably tough schedule, the Jets will need to see a huge improvement to win many games this year.
Defense
A big part of the reason the Jets hired Robert Saleh as their head coach was his reputation as one of the game’s foremost defensive talents. In his final two seasons with the 49ers their defense ranked second and sixth in DVOA. This success didn’t translate to New York in his first season with the team as they ranked 32nd in DVOA in 2021. A big part of the problem was the defensive line. His scheme is reliant on getting pressure with front four, but the Jets had just one player with more than 35 pressures.
The addition of Jermaine Johnson in the draft was clearly an attempt to remedy this. Johnson was one of college football’s premier pass rushers and also earned a reputation as a stout run defender. The Jets will also see the return of Carl Lawson, who missed the entire 2021 season after signing a three-year, $45 million deal last summer. When you factor in that they also have John Franklin-Myers and Quinnen Williams, that line is looking legitimately exciting for 2022.
The one real question mark is their secondary. The addition of Ahmad Gardner in the draft will help them significantly and gives them a player with true CB1 traits. The addition of D.J. Reed was smart too and gives them a solid starting pair at cornerback. The worry is that there is a steep drop off in quality after that, with a handful of unproven young talent. The departure of Marcus Maye will also hit them hard, leaving a less than convincing safety pairing of Jordan Whitehead and Lamarcus Joyner.
Prediction
The Jets made some nice additions this offseason, especially through the draft, but this feels like a team that is still a year or two away from competing. Zach Wilson really struggled in his rookie year and he needs to make a huge jump for them to stand any chance of avoiding a fourth placed finish in the AFC East. When you combine that with a noticeably tough schedule it is difficult to see them getting more than five or six wins.
