New York Jets rookie class stands apart from rest of NFL

The New York Jets rookie class is making noise with their 10th NFL Rookie of the Week Honor this season. 

For years, when it came to the NFL Draft, the New York Jets found themselves at the center of punching bag jokes with their pitiful draft history.

Now, it looks like a light has shone on Gang Green. With undrafted running back Zonovan Knight being named the NFL’s Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week for his performance against Buffalo, this now marks the 10th time this season a Jets rookie has won the honor, including nine of the last 11 and six times in a row from Weeks 4 to 9. The other recipients were WR Garrett Wilson, RB Breece Hall, and CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.

This goes to show what a great job general manager Joe Douglas did last April in bringing in a fresh crop of talent that so far is paying great dividends on the football field. This class has Gang Green in a position where, if things go right, they could be playing football past the regular season for the first time since the 2010 season. They rank as the No. 9 seed in the AFC behind New England and the LA Chargers.

New York Jets rookie class has been impressive this season

Though it is nice to see something positive from the Jets, let’s keep in mind that none of this matters if the quarterback position is not stabilized. Mike White is holding it down the best he can with former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, whom this regime drafted, right behind him on the depth chart.

Douglas drafted Wilson after Jacksonville took Trevor Lawrence, whom the Jets could have had if they didn’t win more games than the Jaguars back in the 2021 season. It hurts for those like Rich Eisen and Mike Greenberg to stomach, but that’s the reality. If Wilson can mature enough and earn his stripes back to be the franchise quarterback for New York, then all is well.

For now, give the Jets credit for picking good players that are making an impact on the football field. It’s been a long time since that happened. But sometimes, miracles occur, and the forces above drop shiny pieces into your lap for you to enjoy. Use this as a blueprint for how to draft from now on.