5 Players the Jets could target in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft

Sevyn Banks, CB, Ohio State

If the Jets happen to miss out on Stingley, they will have an excellent chance to select the Ohio State corner, Sevyn Banks, later in the first round. Banks got his chance to become the full-time starter in 2020 for the first time after Damon Arnette and Jeff Okudah departed for the NFL. He started next to his more prominent teammate, Shaun Wade, but significantly outperformed him last year.

What stands out about Banks is his athleticism. He may be an even better natural athlete than Stingley. Coming out of high school, Banks ran an outstanding 4.5 40-yard dash and recorded a 42-inch vertical jump. Surely in the pre-draft process next year, Banks will easily exceed those numbers. His athleticism translates to the functional aspects of the position as he can move around with receivers at ease and can fluidly change direction to cover more complex routes. On top of that athleticism, Banks has length and size standing at 6-1 and 200 pounds.

The Jets value hyper-athletic corners for their system as they took late-round flyers on Brandin Echols and Jason Pinnock, who score 9.15 and 9.78 out of 10 on their relative athletic scores, respectively, but Banks would represent a prospect with a greater chance of success over Echols and Pinnock.

Banks is not the perfect prospect. He does not have the ball skills that Stingley has, recording just one career interception. Banks can also better improve his reaction times when playing in zone and off-man coverage, something the Jets probably will value given their likely implementation of the Seattle Cover-3 system under new coach Robert Saleh. Nevertheless, even though Banks may not be a can’t-miss prospect for the Jets, he is someone they will likely consider if they miss out on a player of Stingley’s caliber.