Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, Garrett Wilson discuss being Jets' first round picks

With three first round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, the New York Jets cashed in with high upside selections. Between Cincinnati CB Sauce Gardner, Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson, and Florida State DE Jermaine Johnson, all three will be expected to produce on the field this season. For now, though, all three are just appreciative of the opportunity to play together.

“It’s a blessing,” said Gardner, the fourth overall pick in the draft. “We have pretty good relationships. I feel like it was God’s plan for all three of us to be on the same team.”

As a rookie, coming into the pros can be overwhelming. There’s a lot of things rookies have to learn early both on and off the field. Wilson, the 10th pick, says having other players in the same boat as him should help him carry the load.

“(It’s a blessing) to come in and having two other dudes doing the same thing to take some of the pressure off,” he said.

Jets fans have to love the chemistry their 2022 draft class is already showing. After the draft, all three spoke highly of each other and their newfound opportunity to play with one another. Johnson, who New York selected 26th, compared it to a gift for the trio’s hard work to get there.

“I know I speak for all three of us when I say there was a lot of hard work put into it,” said Johnson. “Our support systems did a lot behind closed doors. For us to be rewarded in this kind of way is pretty awesome.”

All three are set up nicely to play right away. Gardner immediately improves a CB group that only recorded two interceptions last season. Meanwhile, Johnson fits right into Robert Saleh’s front seven rotation with a combination of speed and physicality. In Wilson’s case, he gives second year Zach Wilson an explosive deep threat down the field.

What they produce this season remains to be seen. For now, though, the enthusiasm to play with each other is a step in the right direction in this phase of the Jets’ rebuild.