It's the most wonderful time of the year for Gang Green fans.
Draft time has typically been the most hopeful for Jets faithful over the last decade. After all, with diminishing returns since their last playoff appearance, there hasn't been much to look forward to.
This year, that hope might be turned up to 11: The Jets are armed with two first-round picks, two second-round picks and five picks in the top 100.
In addition to the ample draft capital, New York general manager Joe Douglas has been active this offseason in signing ascending players to reasonable and responsible deals, further signaling a new era in Florham Park. The moves mitigated the team's draft needs, but it's still clear which positions it will need to address come the first round. And the second. And the third.
But, hope that the Jets are going to turn it around quickly is still just hope — and hope is a dangerous thing.
Here's what you need to know about the Jets' 2022 draft capital:
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Live picks tracker | 7-round mock draft | Top 200 big board
Jets draft picks 2022: Who does New York pick?
- Round 1, Pick No. 4: Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
- Round 1, Pick No. 10: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
- Round 1, Pick No. 26: Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
- Round 2, Pick No. 36: Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
- Round 3, Pick No. 101: Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State
- Round 4, Pick No. 111: Max Mitchell, OT, Louisiana
- Round 4, Pick No. 117: Michael Clemons, EDGE, Texas A&M
Click here for live analysis and grades on every pick.
Jets 2022 NFL Draft order
| Round | Pick (Overall) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4 |
| 1 | 10 (from SEA) |
| 1 | 26 (from TEN) |
| 2 | 36 (from NYG) |
| 3 | 101 (from TEN via PHI and NO) |
| 4 | 111 (from CAR) |
| 4 | 117 (from MIN) |
Jets NFL Draft needs
- Edge rusher: The Jets have Carl Lawson on the roster and, they hope, healthy after an Achilles injury. There will be options for pass-rush help at No. 4 and No. 10.
- Linebacker: An aging C.J. Mosley and little depth behind him means New York could target linebacker in this draft. The team targeted converted safeties in the middle rounds last year and could do so again this year.
- Safety: The Jets have gone from having a solid safety tandem with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye to having a patchwork group. They could use a ball hawk on the back end.
- Wide receiver: Elijah Moore showed flashes last year, but outside of he and Corey Davis, the Jets are thin at wideout. Look for New York to address the position early, and maybe in the later rounds, too.
Jets mock draft 2022
Here are the latest projections for the Jets, according to Vinnie Iyer's seven-round mock draft (released April 4):
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kayvon Thibodeaux | EDGE | Oregon |
| 1 | 10 | Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner | CB | Cincinnati |
| 2 | 35 | Zion Johnson | OT/G | Boston College |
| 2 | 38 | Jalen Pitre | S/CB | Baylor |
| 3 | 69 | Myjai Sanders | EDGE | Penn State |
| 4 | 111 | Troy Anderson | LB | Montana State |
| 4 | 117 | Zach Tom | G | Wake Forest |
| 5 | 146 | Romeo Doubs | WR | Nevada |
| 5 | 163 | Jack Sandborn | LB | Wisconsin |
