By Matt Parkinson
Hailing from Raleigh, NC, the Green & Whites’ very own Swiss Army Knife, Braxton Berrios looks to continue his strong play into the 2022-‘23 campaign.
During Braxton’s time in High School at Leesville Road High, he spent time doing a little bit of everything, whether that was lining up at Wide Receiver or Running Back, or even some time under center at Quarterback. His superb play earned him a 4-Star scouting grade according to ESPN.com for the class of 2014. Berrios would ultimately bring his talents to South Beach to the historically rich football program at the University of Miami.
Braxton spent all 4 years at Miami, seeing action in each of his 4 seasons. While he spent some time as the teams’ punt returner, Berrios didn’t see a breakout until his senior year in 2017. Due to his performance on the gridiron that year, Braxton racked up all sorts of national attention, being awarded 2017 All-ACC, Third Team (Wide Receiver), 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America, 2017 All-ACC, Honorable Mention (Returner), 2017 Jim Tatum Award Recipient, 2017 Little Scholars College Football Award Recipient.
During the NFL Draft process (Every Jets Fans’ Favorite Part of the Year), Braxton was under looked due to his small stature but gained acclaim for his gritty play style, as well as his ability to be a big-time punt returner at the next level. Berrios was also said to be a Bill Belichick type of guy taken on day 3. Coincidentally, in the 6th round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots used the 210th pick to select Braxton Berrios.
In New England, the Patriots were unable to make use of Braxton’s talents, as he was sidelined on the Injured Reserve for the majority of his rookie campaign. After the season, the Patriots let go of Berrios and he was later picked up by Gang Green and the rest is history. In a story told by Braxton, he was greatly complimented by Coach Bill Belichick, when he said “Hey, man, you really got a good one (in Berrios). We wish we could have kept him,” in a conversation with everybody’s favorite former Jets Coach, Adam Gase.
Since coming to the Jets, Berrios has won over New York, embarking on many highs in a low point in time for the team. Braxton recently signed a 2-year deal worth $12 million with $7 million guaranteed. After 3 years on the team since 2019, Berrios will continue to be a staple for the New York Jets.
The 4 Quarters:
Best Play: 102-yard Kick Return TD vs Jacksonville – In a week 16 matchup vs the Jaguars, the day after Christmas, Berrios took matters into his own hands in a 9-6 contest early in the 2nd quarter. He took the ensuing kickoff 102 yards to the house for a New York Jets score.
Best Game: 8 REC, 65 YDS, 1 REC TD, 1 RUSH TD vs Tampa Bay – In a week 17 matchup vs the Bucs, Braxton showed up in a big way, as the heavy underdog Jets went toe to toe with the reigning Super Bowl Champs. After a valiant effort, the Jets fell short, but Berrios’ efforts that day won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Best Quote: “WE’RE BAAAACK” – In a tweet in reference to re-signing with the Jets
Best Attribute: 2021 First-Team AP All-Pro – Berrios becomes the first All-Pro since 2019 for the Jets