The New York Jets haven’t seen a lot of success on the field over the last 14 years.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t brought in some talent over the last decade. Despite the team’s obvious struggles at times in the draft process, the Jets currently have a lot of young talent on the roster.
How good? We break down some of the best draft picks of the last decade here!
Jets Top Draft Picks
10. OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (2021 – Rd 1, Pick 14)
When healthy, Alijah Vera-Tucker is one of the best guards in all of football. He has also shown to be an excellent player when forced to move to tackle. Health will be the only thing standing in this player’s way. Otherwise, this was a very good pick.
9. EDGE Will McDonald (2023 – Rd 1, Pick 15)
Not many people were happy with the team when they took Will McDonald over the field in 2023, but that selection is working out for the Jets. McDonald is coming off a 10-sack season and is only getting better.
8. LB Jamien Sherwood (2021 – Rd 5, Pick 146)
When you want to look at overall value for New York, look no further than Jamien Sherwood. The veteran linebacker has become the leader of a Jets defense that is trying to be a top-five unit in the sport again.
7. DT Leonard Williams (2015 – Rd 1, Pick 6)
Williams’ best few years statistically may have come on other teams, but he was a Pro Bowl player for the Jets during his five-year run with the team. Pro Bowls help in this argument here, people.
When the Jets traded Williams, he netted two draft picks (third and fifth-round), one of which turned into the fourth-ranked player on this list.
6. RB Breece Hall (2022 – Rd 2, Pick 36)
Hall is just two years removed from finishing fourth in total yards from scrimmage in the entire league. While 2024 was a disaster for him (and many other Jets), a new coaching staff could get him back to his All-Pro caliber self.
5. S Jamal Adams (2017 – Rd 1, Pick 6)
You will find Adams’ name in the top 10 of both the Jets’ best picks and biggest busts – for good reason. On the good side, he was an All-Pro safety who was an excellent blitzer and was the heartbeat of a bad Jets team in 2019.
4. CB Michael Carter II (2021 – Rd 5, Pick 154)
When healthy, Carter is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL. It’s incredible value for a player taken in the fifth round. While the 2021 draft class is seen as a bad group due to the first pick in the cycle for the Jets, Carter may just be the best overall player from the bunch.
3. WR Garrett Wilson (2022 – Rd 1, Pick 10)
Now, we get to the no-brainers of the list. Wilson is a former Offensive Rookie of the Year and set the Jets record for combined receiving yards over his first three seasons. All he’s missing on his resume – that the two players ranked above him have – is an All-Pro to his name.
2. DT Quinnen Williams (2019 – Rd 1, Pick 3)
Williams is one of the best interior defensive players in the league, let alone on the Jets defense. He is a former first-team All-Pro and is the first player opposing coaches have to worry about on Sundays.
1. CB Sauce Gardner (2022 – Rd 1, Pick 4)
They don’t get much better than Sauce Gardner. The first cornerback in the merger to be named a first-team All-Pro in his first two seasons in the league, and a true lockdown specimen with the size and speed to cover anyone, Gardner is New York’s most talented player – and the best pick they have made in decades.
