The New York Jets have done a commendable job in the NFL Draft over the last five years and it’s earned them a major climb on an intricate rankings list ahead of the 2024 season.
Jets’ NFL Draft classes rank No. 5 in the New York Post’s five-year review
The New York Post formulates an annual ranking based on the impact of each team’s draft selections over a five-year period. The criteria evaluates everything from individual player accolades to team success.
The Jets ranked No. 5 out of 32 teams. Brian Costello of the New York Post rationalized their position based on the three Pro Bowlers they’ve selected from 2019-2023 and the considerable improvement they’ve made to their defense, saying:
“The Jets had one of the best draft classes of the last five years in 2022, landing [Sauce] Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall. That class elevates this ranking to the top 5 after years of the Jets being in the 20s. Quinnen Williams, the top pick in 2019, is also a top-tier player that helps cover up mistakes like Zach Wilson and Mekhi Becton in the first round,” Costello wrote.
Jets’ defensive draft selections since 2019 have transformed their front seven and secondary
Gardner, Williams, and Johnson have been instrumental in stopping opposing offenses for the Jets. Gardner won the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and was named first-team All-Pro that season and in 2023 for outstanding cornerback coverage in the secondary.
Williams was also a first-team All-Pro in 2022. The defensive lineman has amassed 33 sacks for his career since getting drafted third overall in 2019. As for Johnson, he made a statement in 2023 with 7.5 sacks, seven defended passes and 16 quarterback hits as an upper-crust linebacker in the league.
Jets scored a WR1 and RB1 that will do the heavy lifting for a potential 2024 Super Bowl push
On the offensive side of the ball, Wilson has led the Jets in receiving with two 1,000-plus yard seasons since 2022 while Hall broke out in 2023 with three games rushing for over 170 yards.
The Jets went from as low as 2-14 in 2020 to a 7-10 team that looked like it could have caused a stir in the playoffs in 2023 had starting QB Aaron Rodgers not gotten hurt. The work that the front office has done in the draft has turned the Jets’ defense into one of the league’s best both in the secondary and the front seven while the offense has two key pieces on the outside and in the backfield that will give them a strong chance of producing a winning record in 2024.
With the 2024 NFL Draft commencing in three days, New York has another chance to make waves starting with the No. 10 overall pick.