Will the 2022 Draft Fuel the Jets

It continues to be a time of change for the New York Jets under General Manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh after the improvements that were made last year, but the general consensus does appear to be that the franchise has improved their roster and options once again during the Free Agency period so far. The biggest question remains, just how much will Zach Wilson improve, and given all the pressure on him, will his right arm hold up as expectations rise? For those who like some action, you can bet on sports here.

It feels like Douglas’ Free Agency strategy has again been sound, just as it was in 2021. He needs to match that again this time around to kick The Jets on further and ensure that his overall No.2 pick in Wilson can lead the team to the playoffs, ending a long drought. That would be marked and tangible improvement on its own, even if thoughts of the playoffs remain a more distant hope, let alone a wholly unexpected stab at a Super Bowl run again at this early stage of the rebuild. Being ‘in the hunt’ would mean a season wasn’t over by Halloween for the first time in a long time and fans would certainly take that as a reason for hope for the future as it would be proof of a continued upward curve in the fortunes of the franchise.

The free agency arrival of two new pass-catching tight ends gives hope.  Then there is the improvement to the offensive line with Laken Tomlinson, and the secondary is looking better with CB D.J. Reed and S Jordan Whitehead.  Fans love that WR-KR Braxton Berrios will be back. This adds much-needed depth to the roster and improves the passing game.

That brings us back to the draft as Joe Douglas is holding four of the NFL Draft’s first 38 picks at his disposal, those in the Jet Nation will continue to be confident at how the immediate and then long-term future could continue to play out. A trade down with one of the picks is possible.  Trading back into the 1st round, if a player slips, is possible. What do the experts predict?

Most mock drafts have the Jets going Edge early. One new mock by Daniel Jeremiah has a much different take; # 4 CB Sauce Gardner and # 10 WR Drake London.

What that has to be tempered with is the improvements other franchises in the AFC have made themselves which has seen plenty of NFC star arrivals, which loops us back around to how much can Wilson improve, can he take his arm to another level and how smart can Douglas be in the Draft to not only further improve the roster but improve the roster with future talent that can actually have a more immediate impact – which as we all know is a rare occurrence in football.

Steve Johnson

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