In 2022, the New York Jets used four draft picks within the first 40 overall selections of the NFL draft. With those picks, Gang Green was hoping to usher in a new era of success.

That did not come to fruition. Four years later, only two of those four picks remain.

Jets running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson have always been connected due to their draft status. Wilson, the 10th overall pick from that year, won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and set the Jets record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin a career.

As good as Wilson has been, though, Hall was even better during their rookie season. Had it not been for a torn ACL suffered in Week 7, it may have been the Jets’ second-round runner who took home Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Since then, though, Hall’s production has been up and down. Even after he recently signed a three-year, $45.75 million contract extension, there are still questions being tossed around about whether he is worth the price.

Through it all, the Iowa State product has known he can lean on a teammate he trusts more than anyone else.

Hall’s connection with Jets receiver

There had been concerns that the Jets’ consistent losing could prompt Wilson and Hall to force their way out. New York hasn’t won more than seven games in a season since adding the two young stars to their roster. Eventually, that losing takes a toll.

Before the 2024 season concluded, talk of Wilson’s request for a trade ran rampant. He ended up signing a four-year contract worth $130 million instead.

Last year, trade discussions between contending teams and the Jets for Hall were close. Much like Wilson, though, instead of pushing for a change, Hall received a new contract, one that makes him the third-highest-paid running back in the sport.

“It’s definitely been a lot,” Hall told reporters Tuesday. “Everyone knows we’re here for the long haul. For me and G (Garrett Wilson), we want to show who we are and what we can do.”

For the first time since they both arrived at the team facility four years ago, both Hall and Wilson feel things are different for the Jets. The biggest reason is the people running the show.

“I feel like now, (head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey) really put me in position with all the guys we brought in and the team we’re building around us to really flourish and for me to really be myself,” Hall said. “God-willing, we stay healthy, and everything goes as planned, I feel like this could be my best season, for sure.”

It’s easy to see where Hall is coming from. With the addition of quarterback Geno Smith, a quality offensive line, and several additions to the receiver room, both the top running back and receiver on the roster finally feel they have the support that elite players deserve.

It could lead to even more competition between the duo in 2026.

A healthy competition

Over the last four seasons, it isn’t hard to see how Hall and Wilson have tried to get the best out of each other. Each player can lay claim to the title of “best offensive player on the Jets.”

The two are ready to take that competition into another year.

“We have great healthy competition all across the room,” Hall said. “It’s a little competition between me and Garrett like, ‘Who’s the best player on offense?’ It’s going to help us because we have so much healthy competition in every room.”

Hall and Wilson saw two of the first-round players drafted alongside them traded over the last 12 months: All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. In fact, of the seven players selected in that class, four remain, with tight end Jeremy Ruckert and tackle Max Mitchell both re-signed.

If the past year has shown anything, though, it’s that this team is committed to the Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson Show.

That gives both an opportunity to try and get the best out of each other. Following Hall’s extension, they’ll be given three more years to do just that.