This New York Jets receiving room has the chance to be one of the best in team history
Since the days of Joe Willie, the New York Jets have been searching for their answer at quarterback.
The situation hasn’t been quite as dire for the wide receivers. Gang Green has had some good ones.
In the last 25 years, Keyshawn Johnson, Wayne Chrebet, Laveranues Coles, Santana Moss, Jerricho Cotchery, Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Brandon Marshall, and Eric Decker have had isolated good-to-great years in the Green and White.
Rarely was the team’s whole room strong from the top down, though.
In 2022, the Jets’ receiver room has a chance to be special.
We already saw flashes of that potential in 2021 despite Zach Wilson’s struggles.
Corey Davis and Elijah Moore had stretches of time that would have translated to 1,000 yards receiving if not for injuries. While Jets fans were frustrated with Davis’s drops and lack of consistency, he was still on pace for quality numbers.
This season, with Garrett Wilson in the mix and Moore reprising his role, Davis slides into the #2 slot in which he thrives. This should give him more one-on-one matchups on the outside.
Wilson was one of the draft’s top receivers. Analysts have compared him to Odell Beckham Jr. and Davante Adams.
Moore had a stretch of six games last year (Weeks 8-13) in which he averaged close to six catches, 76 yards, and 0.8 TDs per game. This translates to 96 catches for 1,300 yards and 14 TDs over a full year. That’s All-Pro material.
Braxton Berrios put up 430 yards receiving in a gadget role in 2021. Not bad at all for a projected fourth receiver!
The wild card in the room is Denzel Mims. The former second-round pick fell out of favor quickly with the coaching staff. There are questions about whether he will make the team. Still, Mims flashed in his rookie year. Joe Douglas may not want to give up on his investment.
Will any of these receivers become superstar number one receivers in 2022? Probably not. But the great news for the Jets is that none of them need to be Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson this season. Going four-deep at receiver means that Mike LaFleur has shiny toys to deploy, and Zach Wilson has his choice of targets.
With such an embarrassment of riches, the statistics might be spread around. Collectively, though, the foursome of Wilson, Moore, Davis, and Berrios can make teams sweat and desperately search for cornerback depth.
Each receiver might go under their Vegas projections and still dominate. The whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.
For the first time in a long time, it’s exciting to be a Jets fan, and the receiver room is a big part of it.
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Chrebet was an excellent 3rd. down receiver, not to mention a positive influence on the rest of the team. This current crew has great potential and a good chance to be special. Can’t wait! Just extend This season!