The 2022 draft class for the New York Jets looks like it is going to be a pivotal one in their future outlook. They had the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year award winners in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Garnder. If it wasn’t Wilson winning the award, it very well could have been their second-round pick, running back Breece Hall.
Hall, the No. 36 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Iowa State, was starting to make his imprint on the New York offense with his role expanding. Unfortunately in Week 7, coming off the best game of his young career, he suffered an ACL tear.
That ended his rookie season in its tracks and he has been rehabbing since. His return to the field is currently up in the air, but based on recent comments made by Jets general manager Joe Douglas, Hall could be out there sooner than people think.
Douglas didn’t rule out Hall being in the lineup in Week 1 on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. While he does caution that there is plenty of work to do before Hall is ready to get back on the field, he is progressing in the right direction.
“Look, I think we’re all hopeful that that could be a possibility,” Douglas said in an appearance on #PFTPM. “There’s still a lot of meat on the bone in terms of his return-to-play protocols and his rehab. He’s in a great place right now. I would say he’s ahead of schedule from where he’s supposed to be and he’s hitting unbelievable top-end speeds already on our GPS and his rehab.
“So I know he’s going to be chomping at the bit to get on the field early. So we’re gonna have to do a good job of protecting him against himself a little bit because he’s so motivated, so hungry, and attacking rehab the way he is. So we’re gonna see. We have very detailed checkpoints for Breece to hit in his rehab and we’re gonna follow that to a ‘T’ because I think we all saw last year the weapon that he can be with the ball in his hands.”
Hall was playing at a very high level before the knee injury. In the game against the Green Bay Packers prior to the ACL tear, he ran for 116 yards as his workload was increasing every week.
In seven appearances as a rookie, the former Cyclone carried the ball 80 times for 463 yards and four touchdowns. He added 19 receptions for 218 yards and one touchdown, showcasing his dual-threat ability out of the backfield.
His return to the field would provide a big boost in the early going. With new quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center, everyone else’s job should get a little easier as he is a sizable upgrade on what the Jets were using at the quarterback position last season.
Hall possesses immense talent and is the leader of their backfield whenever he is healthy enough to return. He makes for an intriguing duo with Jets’ fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda, who was the ultimate home run hitter collegiately with Pittsburgh.
