For years, the New York Jets have been considered bottom-feeders, and they struggled to hold on to the few talented players they had.
Now, Robert Saleh and the front office have done an outstanding job of scouting and getting top-tier talents, slowly putting together a promising and interesting team.
That became quite evident during the NFL awards ceremony, as the Jets had both the Offensive Rookie of the Year (WR Garrett Wilson) and Defensive Rookie of the Year (CB Sauce Gardner).
Jet Sweep. ✈️🧹
For only the third time in NFL history, two players from the same team win OROY and DROY. @nyjets | @GarrettWilson_V | @iamSauceGardner pic.twitter.com/rpUOxQOt9E
— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2023
Notably, it’s just the third time in league history that a team swept both awards and a testament to how much the Jets improved between seasons.
Even with Zach Wilson’s inefficiency and terrible play, Garrett Wilson managed to haul in 87 receptions for 1,103 yards and four scores.
He was the brightest spot in an offense that seemed dead in the water and craved a playmaker every time Wilson was under center, and he looked spectacular when Mike White was his QB.
As for Sauce Gardner, he completely shut down some of the best wideouts in the game, including Bengals superstar Ja’Marr Chase.
Gardner recorded a couple of picks, had 75 tackles (51 solo, 24 assists), three tackles for a loss, one quarterback hit, and a league-high 20 passes defended.
He was a legit candidate to also run away with Defensive Player of the Year honors for the better part of the season and even earned both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in just his first season in the league.
The Jets future is bright; they just need to find a QB.
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