Garrett Wilson is the superstar receiver NY Jets fans have been waiting for

By Ian Roddy — 05/24/2022

During the 2001 NFL draft at Madison Square Garden, the New York Jets selected Santana Moss, a wide receiver from the University of Miami, with the 16th overall pick of the first round. Moss would wind up playing four seasons for the green and white before taking off for Washington, but his 1,105-yard output in 2003 is still the third-best receiving yardage performance from any Jets receiver in the two decades since.

In the next 20 drafts after taking Moss, the Jets did not select a single receiver in the first round, opting instead to build through the later rounds and free agency. With far more botches than success stories to show for it, that strategy finally changed last month when general manager Joe Douglas made the decision to spend the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft on wide receiver Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State.

Wilson, 21, wasn’t even a full year old the last time the Jets franchise opted to put its faith in a first-round prospect at his position. In fact, he was an infant, living in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio with his parents and four siblings.

But now, six feet and 188 pounds later, the Jets have gone out and spent a top 10 overall pick on him — talk about a vote of confidence.

That confidence, though, is well deserved. Not only did Wilson fight his way onto the field early on in his Buckeyes career, but he did so against top-notch competition. His teammates included fellow 2022 first-rounders Chris Olave and Jameson Williams among many others.

Despite such an incredibly crowded and talented receiving room around him, Wilson concluded his time as a Buckeye with 143 receptions for 2,213 yards and 23 touchdowns.

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