The Jets have some elite talent on their roster.
ESPN has been compiling ranking of the top ten players at each position as voted on by a group of NFL executives, scouts, and coaches. Last week, we noted that Quinnen Williams came in fifth among defensive tackles. Three more Jets have made their top ten rankings.
Quincy Williams was rated as the tenth best linebacker in the league.
Williams backed up an All-Pro season in 2023 with another strong performance, earning several top-three votes. He held off several top competitors, including future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner, for the 10th spot.
“Zero to 100 closing speed sideline to sideline,” an NFL defensive coach said. “Will strike you. Dog.”
Williams lives in the backfield, combining for 41 tackles for loss since 2022. His pass deflections decreased from 10 to four year over year.
“He’s a Pro Bowl-caliber player, elite speed and burst to close, plays physical and bigger than he is — but to be elite you have to consistently take the ball away and he hasn’t done that,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said.
To that point, Williams has one career interception, which came in 2023. But he did force four fumbles in 2024.
Garrett Wilson was voted the tenth best wide receiver.
Wilson makes his top-10 debut after three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, beating Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua and Brian Thomas Jr. for the final spot in this ranking.
On talent, he’s unquestionably a top-10 player. The way he slithers in and out of routes with elite flexibility is Justin Jefferson lite.
“He’s one of the best separators in the league,” an AFC executive said.
On production, the argument is tougher. Some scouts wonder what’s holding him back. While Wilson posted 101 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, Davante Adams had more targets than him (68 to 46) over the final six games. Adams’ long-standing connection with QB Aaron Rodgers could have played a factor, but it was a shocking disparity for Wilson, who has No. 1 receiver qualities and was poised for a breakout season.
As one AFC executive noted, Wilson is a bit of a “freelancer” as a route runner, which was probably not ideal alongside Rodgers at this stage of the QB’s career. An NFL receivers coach called it something different: Lack of detail in his routes.
“All over the map — does his own thing on the field,” an AFC scout said about Wilson. “Vast potential, [but he’s] not close to what he could be.”
But then there’s this reality that speaks to his enormous upside — and why he’s in the top 10, fresh off a four-year, $130-million contract extension.
“He has produced in suboptimal circumstances,” an NFL general manager said. “He would only grow in stature in another system more friendly to his skill set.”
Meanwhile, Sauce Gardner was rated the fifth best cornerback.
Gardner remains one of the more polarizing players in the league. He reached superstardom as a rookie, wasting no time entering the conversation for the NFL’s best cornerback. He made back-to-back All-Pro teams from 2022-23, but some evaluators have had problems with his play for the past two seasons.
“Needs a bounce-back year in 2025,” a veteran AFC personnel staffer said. “Lots of missed tackles and penalties and didn’t make many plays last year. Too much, too soon and thought the NFL was easy.”
Gardner had a respectable 2024 season, holding quarterbacks to an 83.3 passer rating when targeted. He gave up one touchdown and recorded nine pass deflections on 51 targets. And Pro Football Focus recently named him the league’s top corner. This is not a sentiment the league shares.
As multiple scouts noted, officials flagged his handsy coverage for holding more frequently in 2024. He committed 10 penalties (one declined) last year compared to seven over the previous two seasons combined, according to NFLPenalties.com.
“I like his game, really good feet, long, good at the catch point — but he was getting put in conversations that I didn’t think were legitimate or fair,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “When I watch the film, I see a top-10 cornerback. I don’t see the top three.”
One NFC personnel evaluator said he’s got shades of Richard Sherman to his game — without the ball production yet. The Jets are hoping their new defense, with coach Aaron Glenn and coordinator Steve Wilks asking him to play more man coverage, will bring out his best. He’ll be asked to do a lot after signing a four-year, $120.4-million extension this week.
I think all three players belong on the list. The only ranking I would take issue with is Gardner coming in at number five among cornerbacks. This is particularly because Derek Stingley Jr. ranked as the number two cornerback.
Stingley is an excellent player. Rankings like these should always be evolving as performance levels evolve. Still, I think it’s tough to build a case that Stingley should be ranked ahead of Gardner today. He had a better 2024 season than Sauce, but these are directly comparable players. They entered the league together and were selected one pick apart. Things can change in the future, but at this point, it’s frankly impossible to claim that Stingley has played at a higher level than Gardner through three years.
The Jets had another player on these lists. Jamien Sherwood was an honorable mention pick at linebacker.
Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets: “Ascending player. He’s a bullet. Was one of my favorite [pending] free agents back in March.” — NFL personnel evaluator
The Jets might not have a great roster at this point, but I continue to think a lot of analysts are selling them short. There is clearly a fair share of top end talent here, which isn’t something you could have said a few years ago.