Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner were both named first-team All-Pro selections, the Associated Press announced Friday. Linebacker C.J. Mosley was also named a second-team member.
Gardner is the first rookie cornerback to earn the first-team honor since Ronnie Lott in 1981, according to The Post’s Brian Costello.
Williams and Gardner were two bright spots throughout a Jets season that started 7-4 but crumbled at the end — with a six-game losing streak to close the year and no postseason berth. Their defense allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game (311.1) and had the third-best unit against the pass, while their 18.6 points allowed per game ranked as the fourth-lowest number in the NFL.
Gardner, the No. 4-overall pick out of Cincinnati, led the league with 20 passes defended and also intercepted two passes. He drew opponents’ top wideouts and chased attention away from his matchup, even expressing his own frustration after a December game when the Lions didn’t target him once. Gardner had three tackles for loss and 75 combined tackles throughout his first NFL season.
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While Gardner anchored the defensive backs, Williams impressed on the defensive line. He recorded career-highs for starts (16), tackles for loss (12), quarterback hits (28) and sacks (12.0), despite missing one game with a calf injury.
Williams has since put pressure on the Jets to negotiate a contract extension by April, telling reporters Monday that he’ll sit out the offseason’s voluntary portion without a new deal. He has one year remaining on a rookie deal that started in 2019, when the Jets drafted him with the third-overall pick out of Alabama.
For Mosley, it marked his first appearance on the second-team All-Pro list since 2018 — and fifth in his career. He recorded 158 tackles and three tackles for loss in his third season with the Jets.
The offense became a major question mark in 2022 — especially when the unit failed to score a touchdown across its final three games — but the defense, now with the All-Pro accolades, proved to be a group New York could build a foundation on under coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
