With less than a month to go until the 2022 NFL draft, New York Jets fans probably have a pretty good idea of who they think will end up on the roster.
However, there is a lot of time between now and then.
One surprising player that was initially overlooked is now a legitimate dark horse to be one of their selections in the opening round.
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Something to Keep an Eye On
When Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams crumpled into a heap tearing his ACL in the college football playoff national championship game, most Jets fans ruled him out as a possibility with their pair of top-10 picks.
Although you can never say never.
Williams was unable to participate in the Crimson Tide Pro Day, but his agency did provide an incredibly encouraging video to Adam Schefter of ESPN to show he has made tremendous progress in his rehab:
Former Alabama WR Jameson Williams, two months removed from surgery on his torn ACL, is not participating in Alabama’s Pro Day today. But here here he is last week, continuing to progress, with the expectation being that he’ll be running by the draft, per @Alliance_Sports.
In addition to that, he spoke at his Pro Day and said he is “ahead of schedule” on his recovery.
“Right now, I’m about 10 weeks out of surgery, the timescale I was getting was about 5-7 months, and I’m ahead of schedule, so with me being 10 weeks, we’re just getting a lot of movement, a lot of good workouts in,” Williams told NFL Network Insider James Palmer. “I’m in the pool and everything, a slight jog, really getting to do high-knees, butt kicks and things like that, just getting back in the motions. Everything is going good so far, with me being this far out and this far down the process, and it’s not that far it’s just the beginning, so I think I would say everything’s going good so far.”
It appears with everything going well so far that Williams is targeting training camp as his return date, which is an important nugget for NFL teams that are considering taking him in the first round.
I’m Sensing a Type
Everyone in this world has a type. A certain candy they enjoy, a specific kind of movie they like to watch in the theatre, and of course an affinity for a flavor at wide receiver.
The Jets showed their cards when they tried to go all in to trade for Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs. If that is any indication of the type of receiver they want to add to this offense, then the Williams hype is starting to make a lot more sense.
“Jameson Williams has a shot to go at 10,” Bleacher Report’s lead NFL draft analyst Connor Rogers said. “Everybody drafts speed with a premium and Williams has the best speed of this wide receiver class.”
The dark horse pick for #Jets at No. 10 that no one is talking about: Jameson Williams (@bigsgjamo) @AlabamaFTBL, ‘everybody drafts speed w/ a premium’ + he is the most Tyreek Hill-ish WR in this class: 🎥 @SNYtv @ConnorJRogers @SteveGelbs @LegerDouzable #TakeFlight #NFLDraft
Speaking of speed, obviously, with the injury, Williams was unable to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine or his Pro Day. However, per NFL Draft Buzz’s scouting report and profile, they have the former Alabama wideout with a 4.25 40-yard dash time.
That is the kind of unadulterated speed that you can’t teach, you either have it or you don’t.
On the NFL Stock Exchange podcast, Connor Hughes of The Athletic said that the Jets “believe” they’re one piece away on offense:
.@Connor_J_Hughes told @ConnorJRogers on the NFLSE podcast that the #Jets ‘believe they’re one piece away on offense’ + if they’re able to add a true No. 1 WR in this offense ‘they believe that will have a wholesale impact across the entire board’: 🎥 @PFF #TakeFlight #NFL
If they really believe that then Williams could make sense as that true No. 1 wide receiver that can take the top off of a defense. He would perfectly complement what the team already has in Corey Davis and Elijah Moore.
No one has been talking about the possibility of Williams at the No. 10 overall pick, but he is a legitimate dark horse to be their selection come draft day.
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‘Dark Horse’ Has Emerged for Jets in First Round With 4.25 Speed