Jets Select Drake London and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner in Mel Kiper’s Latest 2022 NFL Mock Draft

ESPN’s Mel Kiper has posted his latest mock draft, and he has interesting selections for the Jets with their two top ten picks.

4. New York Jets

Drake London, WR, USC

The Jets have had a nice start to free agency, filling voids at tight end (C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin), safety (Jordan Whitehead), cornerback (D.J. Reed) and guard (Laken Tomlinson). They haven’t yet added an outside wide receiver to help Zach Wilson, though, which means they could be eyeing one with either of their top-10 picks. They could get their choice of the best receiver in the class here, and really, if they want to take one, there’s no need to wait.

London, 6-foot-4 and my top-ranked wideout, had 88 catches for 1,084 yards in eight games in 2021 before a broken right ankle ended his season. He can be a weapon in the red zone. With London and Corey Davis on the outside and Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios working out of the slot, New York would have a young and talented receiving corps for Wilson’s second season.

10. New York Jets (via SEA)

Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

I think the Jets would be thrilled to get a shutdown corner with their second Round 1 pick, improving a secondary that allowed quarterbacks to put up a 53.5 QBR last season, which ranked 31st in the league. Signing D.J. Reed will help, but I still see cornerback as a need. They also need a safety, but I don’t have another one with a first-round grade after Kyle Hamilton.

Gardner is a shutdown corner with outstanding tools. He showed in the College Football Playoff against Alabama that he can hold his own against elite talent. I’m a huge fan.

London is a player frequently mocked to the Jets. Typically those mocks have him selected with the 10th pick, however, not the 4th. After a quiet free agency period at wide receiver, the position is near the top of the list of needs for the Jets. Perhaps that will lead them to make this move with their early selection.

Gardner is another player who has been mocked to the Jets through the offseason, but that was before the signing of DJ Reed. That drops cornerback from the list of needs. Still a pairing of Gardner and Reed would give the Jets an imposing group of corners, a huge area of strength at a premium defensive position. Bryce Hall would also become excellent depth in this scenario.