The 2022 NFL offseason is off to a crazy start and could go down as one of the most unpredictable and insane offseasons in NFL history. For starters, big names such as Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill have all found different homes with a new team.
The Denver Broncos received Russell and a 2022 fourth round pick in a package from the Seattle Seahawks, in which they sent tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris, quarterback Drew Lock, two firsts, two seconds and a fifth to the Mile High City.
The Green Bay Packers traded Adams to the Oakland Raiders for the 22nd and 53rd overall pick in the upcoming draft, and the Miami Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill in a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs received Miami’s first and second round draft picks in the upcoming season.
Lastly, the biggest trade in the off-season was Watson and a 2024 sixth round pick being traded to the Cleveland Browns from the Houston Texans, in which they received a massive overhaul including three first round picks, a third round pick and two fourth round picks. It is extremely rare for a team to acquire a young, proven quarterback entering his prime; however, after many lawsuits were filed against Watson for criminal charges involving sexual abuse, he became available via trade.
Despite this offseason being filled with big-time superstar names joining different teams, one team that had a great under the radar free agency was the New York Jets.
The Jets were able to sign key free agents that filled great needs for both their offense and defense. The Jets struggled heavily this season with their offensive line, so with the addition of pro bowl guard Laken Tomlinson and tight end C.J. Uzomah, the team finally has some reliability up front to protect second-year quarterback Zach Wilson.
Another position of need for the Jets was their secondary, and general manager Joe Douglas made it clear this offseason that he was going to improve this area of concern heading into the 2022 season. They did just that by adding the former Seahawk cornerback D.J. Reed, and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer safety Jordan Whitehead. Both of these players add a massive upgrade to the secondary after having stellar seasons last year.
The Jets lost two big names last season due to injury and are excited to get left tackle Mekhi Becton and defensive end Carl Lawson back on the field. Both of these players had high expectations last season and were poised for a breakout season, although injuries prevented that from occurring. They are hopeful that both players will return to full health for the start of the 2022 season and have an immediate impact on the teams success.
Not only did the Jets have a great free agency, they still have the NFL draft to improve their team even more. With four picks in the top 40, they have plenty of choices with what they want to do with those picks and bring in four more immediate impact players to their roster.
Many mock drafts have the Jets taking Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux with the fourth overall pick and cornerback Sauce Gardner with the 10th overall pick. Even though this would be an ideal first round for many Jet fans, there’s a chance the Jets go with a wide receiver with one of their first two picks in the first round.
After missing out on a Tyreek Hill trade from the Chiefs, the Jets will definitely be looking to improve their receiving core this draft season, and there are many prospects that could do just that.
One wideout who has been gaining a lot of traction from the Jets is Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson. He is a perfect target for Zach and can change the whole outlook of this already young core group.
He is a shifty, speedy receiver with good hands and can make defensive backs look silly with his footwork off the line of scrimmage. This should be a player Jet fans and Zach would want to see on their roster moving forward.
Lastly, the most important step for this Jets team next season is the improvement of Zach. After having a shaky rookie season, many people in the building believe Zach is poised for a breakout year due to the talent being brought in around him.
Zach possesses generational arm talent along with great footwork and has been seen as the answer at quarterback for the past year. If he can improve on his ability to complete on short and medium passes, and decision making skills, then we can see Zach become the quarterback all of New York has been looking for.
All eyes are on Zach this season, and if he can be that guy for the Jets, they’ll be looking to make a strong push for a playoff spot, something they haven’t seen in over 10 years at the signal caller position.