ESPN names five NY Jets players to its MVP Top 100 list

In ESPN’s newly released MVP Top 100 players list, multiple Jets were included

The New York Jets have a lot of young talent, and one publication is taking notice.

Releasing his MVP Top 100 list, ESPN’s Seth Walder named five players from the Jets to the list.

Ranked highest for the team was cornerback Sauce Gardner at No. 26. Walder writes, “his 13% target rate was third best among outside corners — and he ranked second to [Bears cornerback Jaylon] Johnson in yards per coverage snap allowed (0.8), per NFL Next Gen Stats.”

Garrett Wilson was the second Jet to appear on the list, ranked at No. 45 in the rankings. Walder, who acknowledged that some may see Wilson’s ranking as surprising, said, “multiple NFL team staffers independently noted I was severely underrating Wilson and that he had been one of the best wide receivers in the league. It’s just that his play was shrouded by the misery that was the Jets’ offense.”

The next two players for the Jets were brother Quinnen and Quincy Williams. Quinnen slotted in at No. 63 while Quincy slotted in at No. 76.

Finally, running back Breece Hall came in at number 81 on the list. In the blurb under Hall’s ranking, Walder said, “Hall managed to finish second among running backs in total yards (rushing plus receiving) with 1,585. He also recorded 146 rush yards over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats, more than backs who might have been considered here, such as Raheem Mostert, James Cook, Kyren Williams, Isiah Pacheco, or Derrick Henry.”

The list is very interesting in a few different ways. Wilson being ranked higher than the lines of both the Williams brothers and Hall is not what the typical takeaway from this past season would be.

While Wilson continued to show impressive play in a horrible offensive situation, Quinnen and Quincy were vital to the Jets having an elite defensive unit. Their value was to the point that both players received recognition on various All-Pro teams.

Additionally, it is surprising to see Quinnen Williams ranked as low as 63. While not having the gaudy sack numbers from last season, the defensive tackle was a force in every aspect possible and was the driving force for a large portion of the team’s defensive success.

But no matter how you feel that these players should be ranked, it is positive for the Jets to have five of their core pieces listed.

The list does not even include Jermaine Johnson or Alijah Vera-Tucker, two players who performed at an extremely high level when on the field this past season.

2023 might have been a failure, but the Jets are not dead in the water. With the right additions and moves in the offseason, New York has the core to compete in the 2024 season.

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