The 2022 draft class for the New York Jets was a key one for the development of their team and set the foundation to push all their chips forward for 2023. Their two top-10 picks resulted in the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Gardner in particular has become a huge piece to the Jets, being named All-Pro as a rookie and being joined by stat defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The best part is both of those players (and Wilson too) are 25 or younger and among the best in the league.
Williams and Gardner both cracked the top 25 in a recent survey from The Athletic of the best players age 25 or younger, a survey that included five head coaches and seven front-office executives. In fact, they both made the top 10 — Williams at No. 7 and Gardner at No. 9.
Here’s what they had to say about Williams:
Williams showed promise as a rookie and in Years 2 and 3. Then he took a massive leap last season, racking up 12 sacks, 55 tackles (12 for a loss), four pass deflections and two forced fumbles to anchor the Jets’ defensive front. This summer featured a big payday for Williams, who signed a four-year, $96 million extension that in terms of average annual value made him the NFL’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle, behind the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald.
And for Gardner:
Already? Yes. Every talent evaluator asked about the second-year pro agreed that he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the league, regardless of age or experience. As a rookie, Gardner recorded two interceptions and a league-high 20 pass breakups.
Both players also made The Athletic’s “All 25-and-Younger” team. Williams was joined by Dexter Lawrence of the Giants and Gardner is alongside Pat Surtain II of the Broncos and Trevon Diggs of the Cowboys.
Wilson may very well reach these groups at some point himself. For the record, the three wide receivers that made the team were Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Miami’s Jaylen Waddle.
