Let's hope Jets perform as well as Joe Douglas did in the NFL Draft
New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas speaking to the media at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park on Thurs. April 21, 2022. Credit: Errol Anderson
The Jets haven’t won much of anything over the last decade-plus, so this must be an awkward feeling for fans used to mostly failure since Rex Ryan’s exhilarating rides to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009-10. But the offseason performance by general manager Joe Douglas and his staff — up to and including the just-concluded three-day draft — has been as good as it gets around here.
At least in theory.
The ultimate test, of course, won’t come until coach Robert Saleh puts this much-improved roster into action in the regular season. And we’ve seen enough hopes go down the drain from September to January, so no guarantees here. But Douglas’ ability to add meaningful depth in free agency with players including guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed, safety Jordan Whitehead and tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. And his re-signing of Braxton Berrios kept a Pro Bowl return man and reliable third-down receiver on the roster.
But Douglas saved his best for last, capping off an already impressive roster refurbishment with a home run in the draft. With top 10 picks Sauce Gardner at cornerback and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, Douglas traded back into the round after seeing Florida State edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II slip to 26th overall and addressed another need. And then his move up to take the draft’s top running back, Iowa State’s Breece Hall, with the 36th overall choice made it a grand slam of four outstanding choices.
Douglas can only hope when the rubber meets the road and they get onto the field this fall that they match their expectations. But make no mistake: This was among the best performances by a team in this year’s draft. Adding Long Island’s own Jeremy Ruckert of Ohio State in the third round only solidifies the haul that Douglas came away with.
About the only decision Douglas left up for debate was taking Texas A & M defensive lineman Micheal Clemons in the fourth round. There’s no questioning Clemons’ ability as a football player, but he does raise red flags because of the reasons behind his suspension for last season’s opener. Clemons was arrested last August for the unlawful carrying of a weapon, failure to identify/giving false information, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana and driving with an invalid license.
The Jets surely did their due diligence on Clemons’ background and believe he will not have off-field issues moving forward, but the risk/reward ratio remains high.
Overall, though, put the Jets among the teams that came away from this draft rightfully feeling good about how they performed.
Here’s a look at the others:
And now, from the could-have-done-better category:
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
