The New York Jets are moving forward in a post-Aaron Rodgers world with a more traditional game plan on team building. After a solid draft class that featured more substance than style, the Jets have continued on their path towards loading their roster with young players with the potential to ascend instead of chasing stars on the back end of their careers for a quick shot at winning.
Part of that process involves keeping talented young stars in the building, which the Jets did by picking up the fifth-year options for three members of their acclaimed 2022 draft class: wide receiver Garrett Wilson, cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and defensive end Jermaine Johnson II. Running back Breece Hall, who is also a member of that draft class, was not eligible for a fifth-year option since he was taken in the second round.
Jets' roster decisions serve as a reminder of how mediocre the team has been
Picking up the fifth-year option on all three of those players was a no-brainer, as Gardner and Wilson took home the Defensive and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2022, with Gardner becoming a first-team All-Pro that same year. Wilson has registered three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons despite having quarterback play ranging from mediocre to just plain abysmal, while Johnson made the Pro Bowl in 2023 before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 2 of the 2024 season.
Nailing three first-round picks like that should lead to an immediate upshot in team success, but that wasn't the case for the Jets, who have gone just 19-32 since the trio of stars entered the league. While it is true that Aaron Rodgers' Achilles injury likely short-circuited the 2023 season, a series of bad coaching decisions, poor free agent pickups, underachievement from veterans and a lack of development from other young players (see Zach Wilson) helped New York become one of the most disappointing teams in the league over that span.
The good news for the Jets is that these three are still very young, with Wilson and Gardner set to enter their age-25 seasons while Johnson turned 26 in January. Given the emphasis on youth from new head coach Aaron Glenn, expect new General Manager Darren Mougey to use these options as a first step towards contract extensions with these key members of New York's core to help set the foundation for the franchise moving forward.