Here's a look at the snap count and how playing time was distributed for the Jets in the 2022 season.
Instant Contributors
The duo of CB D.J. Reed 1,1135 (99.8%) and S Jordan Whitehead 1,130 (99.3%) – 2022 offseason additions – made an immediate impact on the Jets' defense — starting every game and leading the unit in playing time.
Reed, signed in March from Seattle, missed 1 snap and registered a career-high 12 pass defenses and 80 tackles. Whitehead, signed during March from Tampa Bay, missed 6 snaps.
As for the rest of the defense, LB C.J. Mosley 1,114 (97.8%) continued his run of consistent play for the Jets over the last two seasons. Mosley played in every game, missed 22 snaps and played the fourth-most snaps on defense. Mosley's linebacker counterpart Quincy Williams 732 (64.3%) missed two games but still managed to play the sixth-most snaps on defense.
Other than Whitehead in the secondary, S Lamarcus Joyner 873 (76.7%) and nickel Michael Carter II 732 (64.3%) both finished top 7 in playing time.
Steadying the Offense
Injuries hampered the Jets offensive line this season, but C Connor McGovern 1,114 (100%) and LG Laken Tomlinson 1,112 (99.8%) were models of durability leading the offense in playing time. Eleven offensive linemen started for the Green & White.
McGovern played all 17 games and did not miss a snap. This season marked the second time that McGovern has played every game and every snap on offense, and he did not miss any time when he played for Denver in 2019. Tomlinson, signed in March from San Francisco, started every game and missed 2 snaps.
Three QBs started for the Green & White and 4 took snaps at some point from McGovern. QB Zach Wilson 504 (45.2%) started 9 games and led the QBssignal callers in playing time.
Rookie Risers
WR Garrett Wilson 884 (79.4%), the No. 10 selection in last April's NFL Draft, played every game and the third-most snaps on offense. Over the first 7 games, he played less than 80% in each, but surged over the final 9 playing every snap in two matchups and playing at least 83% of snaps in each remaining game.
CB Sauce Gardner 1,115 (97.9%), the No. 4 pick, had an instant affect on the Jets' defense starting ,all 17 games and missing 21 total snaps on defense. Gardner led the league with 20 pass defenses.
In total, six newcomers played 230-plus snaps. Other than Wilson and Gardner, T Max Mitchell 340 (30.5%), DE Jermaine Johnson 312 (27.4%), DL Micheal Clemons 311 (27.3%) and RB Breece Hall 233 (20.9%) saw extended playing time in their first season.
Loaded D-Line
Head coach Robert Saleh played 10 defensive linemen at least 150 snaps this season. Team MVP Quinnen Williams 690 (60.6%) missed one game and led the group in playing time. DE Carl Lawson 663 (58.3%) and DL John Franklin Myers 643 (56.5%) each started every game and were next behind the Pro Bowler Williams.
Super Specialists
K Greg Zuerlein and P Braden Mann played in all 17 games to lead the Jets special teams. Zuerlein connected on a franchise-record 60-yard field goal against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 13 and made 81.1% of his field-goal attempts and 28 of 28 extra-point attempts. Mann landed a career-high 27 punts inside the 20-yard-line. Pro Bowler CB Justin Hardee 367 (79.7%) led the punt and kickoff coverage in playing time.
