Early in the second round, the Jets drafted former Iowa State running back Breece Hall with the 36th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, making Hall the first running back to come off the board for the year. Despite the annual debate over whether or not it’s worth it to use a first-round pick on a running back, this marked the first Draft since 2014 that a running back did not get selected in the first round. 
It was almost a continuation of the 7-year trend, though. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, New York was so high on Hall that they attempted to trade back into the bottom of the first round to draft him. Whether they just wanted to be extra sure Hall became a Jet or whether they sought to add a fifth-year option to his rookie contract is unclear at the time.
If New York had succeeded in this endeavor, it would’ve been the first time that an NFL team had used four first-round selections since the Jets, themselves, did it in the 2000 NFL Draft. The 2000 Draft saw the Jets select future-Pro Bowl defensive ends Shaun Ellis and John Abraham back-to-back at No. 12 & 13 overall. Five picks later, New York selected quarterback Chad Pennington, who would become their starter two years later and take them to the playoffs three times. Lastly, they drafted tight end Anthony Becht who became a red-zone threat throughout his tenure in New York.
The Jets are certainly hoping to get the same, if not better, success out of this year’s class. With two top-ten picks in cornerback Ahmad Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, in addition to No. 26 overall pick defensive end Jermaine Johnson II and Hall at No. 36 overall, New York has added key pieces to positions of need.
Stacked up with last year’s high value picks of quarterback Zach Wilson, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, and wide receiver Elijah Moore, the Jets are looking to build draft success into success on the gridiron, something they haven’t seen since their last winning season in 2015, a year in which they still failed to qualify for the postseason. They will look to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought and make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 NFL season.
What kinda leash does salah have? If the jets stay true to form and have double digit losses and zero progression the next two years will this joe Rogan lookalike keep his job?
Robert Saleh looks way more like a human being, and I bet he gets a third season unless this year’s a huge disaster.
13 losses and a fourth place finish and this guys keeping his job? His energy on defensive stops nonwithstanding this guy don’t impressa me much
I guess if he can’t bring in six wins, he could be in trouble, but the AFC’s gonna be pretty tough this year. I think a lot comes down to whether Wilson can make things look hopeful.
Sweet you have the jets pinned at 6 wins I got a Chinese bridge in the Bay Area to sell ya
Keeping his job? He took over a roster without any talent 1 year ago. What are you even talking about?
The question was how many years of this dumpster fire before he’s fired. I know he inherited an untalented roster, he also joined a joke of a franchise so why assume they’ll act reasonably?
I think saleh and Rogan both look like human beings. Biden and trump look like humans. Karl and Richard Marx look like humans. Putin and Jen psaki look human. I bet you look like a human as well.
It’s a good thing they didn’t trade back into the first round to get Hall because it would have cost them one of their last two picks or a pick next year. Honestly, I didn’t know it was Hall they were after. I thought it could’ve been Dean since even the analysts didn’t know for sure why he was falling.
Now that we know, it makes a lot more sense, but I still would have liked to see them pick up some of the linebacker talent in the draft.
Imagine paying four fifth year options at once, now that they’re not that cheap.
So if they tried to trade into the 1st to get Hall … and they couldn’t … and he dropped to them anyway in the 2nd, what does that say about the intel or lack there of feeling the need to trade up to get someone … questionable decisions making … shooting from the hip I guess. I think Kenneth Walker will be a better pro anyway. Time will tell.
Well, he actually didn’t drop to the pick they had left in the 2nd after they traded up for JJ II. He would’ve been there at that pick but once he passed that one, the Jets felt the need to jump up two slots to grab him. It’s hard to know for sure that the Texans would have taken him but it does happen. It thought the Jets would have targeted Daniel Faalele at #111, but the Ravens took him at #110.
I mean he himself did say in his interview on Friday that they had tried to trade back into the first for him…
Best draft class in many years. At least on paper. We will see how it turns out. My only critique is I would have taken Jameson Williams over Wilson. No knock on Wilson but I think Williams is a future mega star.
Not a Saleh fan at all but what happened to getting 4 years to turn it around. You can only do so much with a team of scrubs and journeymen. It isn’t as if he choked away a double digit SuperBowl lead late in the 4th quarter. Ohhhh wait
Saleh didn’t choke in SF but their players did. Dumbest remark. Players need to be held accountable for late losses. They are paid to make plays.
This would have been amazing for Iowa State fans since they have had a 1st rounder in like 40 years. Not meant to be.
*50 years so even worse