Jets, Jaguars Best Set Up For Success in 2022
The Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets were both complete messes this season. Despite having the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks, respectively, in the 2021 NFL Draft, they finished with a combined record of 7-27.
There wasn’t a lot of inspiring play this year from either team, but fans should be hopeful and bettors should be alert to what they have to offer in 2022. Both teams need a makeover, and they have the tools to revamp their rosters in the offseason.
With the regular season over, here's a good way to visualize how well each NFL team is set up for the offseason. Using the Fitzgerald-Spielberger draft value chart, we can quantify how much draft capital each team has, as well as their effective cap space entering free agency pic.twitter.com/WtXJOKGGKX
— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) January 12, 2022
Let’s start with the draft. The Jaguars are once again going to have the No. 1 overall pick, which is likely going to be Aiden Hutchinson from Michigan. Hutchinson would give the Jaguars a much needed cornerstone on their defense. If he and Lawrence can progress at similar levels, Jacksonville could be out of the trenches soon.
While it’s nice to have the No. 1 pick, the Jets have the next best thing (and arguably the best thing) – two picks in the top 10. The Jets second pick comes from the Seattle Seahawks, via the Jamal Adams trade. With great draft capital, the Jets have a great opportunity to find more pieces to build around Zach Wilson.
When it comes to free agency, expect these teams to be major players. Both teams are in the top 5 in cap space, with the Jaguars having an estimated $64 million and the Jets with $54 million.
Clean slates on the horizon for these teams and that should excite bettors. The win totals for these teams are going to be low, and rightfully so. However, with the amount of draft capital and actual money available for them to spend, the over on their win totals should be on every bettors watch list going into next year.