The Jets’ 2022 draft class has been thinned out so much that Max Mitchell is still hanging around as one of the few survivors. That run may be close to ending.
New York signed former Indianapolis Colts mid-round pick Blake Freeland off the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad and moved Mitchell to injured reserve, a sign that his place on the roster is slipping away. Mitchell had spent the last few seasons backing up Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu.
The Jets are expected to add another veteran placeholder in the Mitchell or Chukwuma Okorafor mold to support Membou and Fashanu after this season. Mitchell looks like another Joe Douglas mid-round pick who will end up on the pile as Darren Mougey keeps clearing out the roster.
Mitchell has appeared in 17 games across five seasons with the Jets. He has shown some positional flexibility, and 2025 may have been his best year as a blocker, but the odds of him developing into a starter remain slim. If he finds another team in 2027, it will probably be as a backup trying to hang onto a roster spot.
He and Jeremy Ruckert have lasted longer in reserve roles than most people expected, even if neither has been a standout. Of the Jets’ 2022 draftees, Garrett Wilson is the only one performing at a clearly above-average level. Breece Hall could be on his way out soon as well.
Sauce Gardner was once the class’s crown jewel at cornerback, but his trade to the Indianapolis Colts has already altered both teams’ outlooks. The move hurt the Colts’ short-term future and gave the Jets a path to recover if Darren Mougey turns the assets from that deal into real value.
One of Chris Ballard’s final moves as Colts general manager was to sign former Jets 2022 pick Micheal Clemons to a three-year deal. Clemons, who drew plenty of criticism from Jets fans for his limited pass-rush upside as a 4-3 defensive end, played in only two games, had no tackles, and then landed on injured reserve.
Jermaine Johnson II looked like he was headed toward stardom before a torn Achilles stalled that momentum. The Jets dealt him to the Tennessee Titans for nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Johnson has been an average player with three sacks in 2026, while Sweat has looked like a solid defensive tackle.
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If Taylor never becomes available, the search could shift toward familiar names on the board, and Breece Hall is among the backs being mentioned in that broader discussion. For the Jets, it is the kind of cross-town wrinkle that naturally gets noticed, even if the market is still fluid and the deadline picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]