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Let’s take a 30,000-foot view . . .
of the Jets 2022 draft.
First, let’s get this out of the way: Draft grades are flat-out foolish.
“That’s for you guys (the media),” said Robert Saleh. “I’ve also been in places where we’ve been universally mocked. I think we took Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson (in Seattle) in the first three rounds and got a D-grade . . . we’ll know in three years.”
Saleh nailed it. Media draft grades are totally irrelevant. It’s best to ignore them.
Something else to take with a grain of salt is the narrative Zach Wilson will play better because the Jets added some new weapons for him in first-round wide receiver Garrett Wilson and second-round running back Breece Hall.
Obviously those guys are very talented and should help Gang Green overall. They are difference-makers, and the more of those you have, the better.
However, the things that Wilson needs to improve really have little to do with weapons. Reading defense, accuracy, footwork, manipulating safeties with your eyes, things of that nature, aren’t related to weapons.
Wilson is working hard this off-season to improve in these areas. And we will see during the 2022-23 season if he can, but weapons have little to do with this stuff.
Of all the Jets picks, defensive end Jermaine Johnson might be the most important. Yes, they needed a #1 cornerback, and Sauce Gardner has the potential to be that guy, but having a dominating pass rush is probably 1A on defense, and pass coverage is 1B, because a great pass rush helps the coverage immeasurably.
“In Seattle we had that front, obviously in San Francisco probably has the best front in all of ball,” Saleh said. I’ve been blessed to be a part of some really cool defenses and it starts up front. If you want the secondary to be better, fix the pass rush.”
There you go. That is why Johnson might be the most important addition.
They desperately need a dominating edge-rusher. Yes, defensive end Carl Lawson is coming back, but an edge-rusher coming off an torn Achilles tendon, after suffering two serious knee injuries, and a serious hip injury in his career, you have to wonder if this will take away from some lower body explosition. Nobody will outwork Lawson, and he will bust his tail to come back strong, but an Achilles, two ACL’s and a hip, that is a lot stuff in the lower body.
And Lawson has never been a double-digit sack guy on the NFL level anyway. The last time we saw him in an NFL regular season, he had 5.5 sacks for the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals.
The Jets need an edger-rusher who will wreck the game. If Johnson can do that, and become a double-digit NFL sack guy, that would do wonders for the Jets defense.
The trio late in the draft of third-rounder Jeremy Ruckert, and fourth-rounders – offensive tackle Max Mitchell and defensive end Michael Clemons – constitute solid value where they were selected. Ruckert is a terrific all-around tight end, Mitchell could emerge as a starting right tackle candidate in the future, and Clemons should help the Jets set the edge better against the run, a big problem for them last year. He’s a powerhouse, and has the wingspan of a 747, with arms nearly 35 inches, a huge plus for a defensive lineman because it helps a great deal in the leverage game.
May 2, 2022
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