Two of the three first round draft picks general manager Joe Douglas made this year were on the defensive side of the ball. He very well may have gotten the best players at their respective positions selecting Jermaine Johnson II and Sauce Gardner. Making more moves on the defensive side of the ball in the offseason will help these two potentially share Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Improvement and better play within the front seven should help Johnson and Gardner showing that he’s at least starter level corner will go a long way.
Johnson will get reps early this year in a defensive line rotation that is deep and has talent on the edge. His length and quickness added with the ability to stop the run consistently should help a Jets run defense that was abysmal last season. Sauce Gardner should be a starting corner in a secondary that is on the rise. He should also get a chance to go one-on-one with some of the best receivers in the league.
The Problems Along the Way
Sure there are problems with both players. Johnson has yet to show that he can put a plan together to rush the quarterback and be consistent throughout the year, which he’ll need to be to share Defensive Rookie of the Year honors with Gardner. In order for Gardner to be in contention to share the award, he will have to show how good he already is in coverage playing against the best receivers on the opposing team. Gardner has the skillset and the athleticism to hold his own against top-tier competition on a weekly basis. The problem lies within his own team as the number four overall pick has to show that he can beat out Bryce Hall and newcomer DJ Reed Jr.