5 players Jets should draft in the first round

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Robert Saleh of the New York Jets looks on from the side line during the third quarter fo the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /

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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 24: Derek Stingley Jr. #24 of the LSU Tigers in action against the South Carolina Gamecocks during a game at Tiger Stadium on October 24, 2020, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

4. Players the New York Jets should draft in Round 1 – Derek Stingley

Any Jets’ fan will tell you that the biggest area of concern on the defense is in the secondary. New York opted not to add a free agent to the cornerback room last offseason, preferring to let youngsters like Bryce Hall and Brandin Echols get as many reps as possible in order to develop.

The strategy did pay off as the Jets developed some solid depth in their secondary but nobody in house emerged as a true No. 1 corner that can shut down the opposition’s top receiver. The draft does have a few options to address this need with the best player available being LSU’s Derek Stingley.

Scouts took notice of Stingley when he was a freshman at LSU and racked up six interceptions to help the Tigers win the national championship. Injuries have been a question mark for Stingley too as he played in just three games in 2021 after undergoing foot surgery in October.

The Jets could look to secure a veteran cornerback in free agency, which would take them out of play for Stingley or another corner like Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Stingley would be a bit of a reach at No. 4 but the Jets could get good value by scooping him up at No. 10 if Stingley’s medicals check out.

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