It was a win for the “other guys” from the Jets 2022 draft class yesterday when the Jets defeated the Houston Texans by a final score of 21-13.
While the headlines are usually taken up by Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall, it was the final two picks in that class for the Jets who made some noise yesterday.
Offensive tackle Max Mitchell and defensive end Michael Clemons both stepped up and had big games. For Mitchell, he made is NFL debut at left guard when John Simpson went down with an injury and played a good game.
No, Mitchell wasn’t playing at an all-pro level, but he was certainly steady in both the run and pass games, playing a vital role for the Jets as they exploded for three second-half touchdowns with three drives of 70+ yards.
Little has been seen of Mitchell since his rookie season and what he has put on film hasn’t been great. So could the move to guard enhance his value as a more versatile player?
Then there’s Clemons, whose role has been reduced with the arrival of Haason Reddick. He chipped in with two sacks, a career best, which brought his season total to a respectable 4.5 sacks. Also tops for Clemons in his short career.
