THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
May 5, 2022 - May 11, 2022 • 40
Sports Gardner, Wilson and Johnson become the Jets’ present and future By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews
It’s been a long time since pundits and disgruntled Jets fans have been overly satisfied with the team’s draft selections. The 2022 NFL Draft hasn’t made up for all of their bad choices, but it has given the fan base hope. Last Thursday in Round 1, the Jets took University of Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner with the No. 4 pick. They made Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson the No. 10 selection and followed that up with taking defensive end Jermaine Johnson II from Florida State at No. 26. On Friday, the Jets maneuvered up from the 38th pick to the 36th and grabbed Iowa State’s Breece Hall, who many draft analysts had rated as the top running back. There were few complaints directed at Jets general manager Joe Douglas by the end of the draft on Saturday
conference of the 2022 season. “I feel like we’re a better team now than we were to start the entire offseason.” Douglas was quick to compliment his staff ’s work, sharing the credit for what he believes was a successful draft. “A lot of that credit goes to Coach [Robert Saleh] and his staff, Rex [Hogan, assistant GM], all our personnel staff working together,” he stated. “It’s just a real team effort to give us this chance to go into a season improved at some different spots, adding quality depth to the team, adding some guys that we feel can be explosive, dynamic playmakers for us.” In Round 3, the Jets added Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert, a native of LindenAhmad “Sauce” Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson II were all selected by the pick. They AM NEWS hurst, New York, with the 101st 01154 Jets in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft (newyorkjets.com photo) had two picks in the fourth round andAM used NE 04/07/22 them0 on Max Mitchell, an 04/07/ 7 offensive tackle 74470 with 22784 night. He was widely credited for doing “I feel like we’re a better team now than we from Louisiana the 111th pick, and dea masterful job of getting the best play- were going into this weekend,” said Doug- fensive end Michael Clemons from Texas ers available to fill the Jets’ needs. las in conducting his first post draft press A&M at 117.
The Giants shore up their trenches in drafting Thibodeaux and Neal AM NEWS 04/14/22
01164 NE ball Hall of Famer Micheal AM StraLos 0 han as a mentor. 7 The South04/14/ 74470 22784 Angeles, California product has Although the 2022 NFL Draft aspirations of modeling Strahan’s took place over the course of three career both as a player and postdays last Thursday through Satfootball success. urday, within roughly one hour of “I have some good people at the event, the Giants could already Oregon who already had enviclaim it was hugely successful. With sioned me being like him one day AM NEWS 01174 the No. 5 pick the team selected and how big he’s become,” said AM NE University of Oregon defensive lineThibodeaux at his introductory 04/21/22 04/21/ 0 press conference7 on Saturday man Kayvon Thibodeaux and at No. at 74470 22784 7 selected University of Alabama ofthe Giants’ facilities in East Ruthfensive lineman Evan Neal. erford, New Jersey. The duo were considered by many “So we’ve had mutual friends draft analysts as the best prosthrough Oregon and the people pects at their respective positions there and they connected us. I and they fill critical weaknesses was able to get on Zoom with him, for Giants. Overall, the team chose chop it up with him. I think this AM NEWS 11 players, the most they have ac- First round picks Evan Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux, pictured with Giants general manager Joe Schoen was when I was still01184 in school. So AM NE quired through the draft in a single and head coach Brian Daboll, are major additions to the team (Giants.com photo) I would say last year, probably fall 04/28/22 04/28/ 0 7 class since 2003. camp, 74470actually, 22784 was when I first had The offensive line in particular has been bodies, offensive lineman, on the roster, how the competition in training camp goes. the first Zoom with him and then I got to a problematic unit for the Giants for the and that’s my point. There were sever- But, yeah, I’m happy where we are with the meet him. Now, actually seeing him and better part of the last decade. The 21-year- al holes, and we didn’t have a lot of depth depth overall.” really talking to him and building that reNeal, a native of Okeechobee, Florida, who throughout the roster. Thibodeaux, a two-time All-Pac-12 first lationship has been dope.” played multiple positions on Alabama’s “So start there, start up front,” he expand- team performer in 2020 and 2021, will line, will initially be plugged in at right ed, “let’s see the best version of Daniel give the Giants a disruptive force coming tackle opposite left tackle Andrew Thomas, Jones we can, and it starts by hopefully off the edge of the defensive.AM TheNEWS Giants 01194 who was the No. 4 pick in the first round of keeping him on his feet. And that’s going to have lacked a consistent pass rush in AM NE 05/05/22 a the 2020 draft by the Giants. help Saquon and that’s going to help the re- recent years which made Thibodeaux 05/05/ 0 7 74470 22784 “I think I told you guys at the [NFL Scout- ceivers because he’ll have more time to get primary target of the team entering the ing] Combine,” said Schoen to the media him the ball. I think we upgraded the offen- off-season. He is already off to a positive on Saturday, “we had maybe five healthy sive line, which hopefully we did. We’ll see start having Giants legend and Pro Foot-
By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
