To be sure, the edge rusher position wasn’t at the top of the New York Jets’ priority list heading into the third day of the 2022 NFL draft.
Although they had seven players in their class, they used their final pick in the fourth round (117th overall) on Texas A&M edge rusher Micheal Clemons.
To select Clemons, a nearly 25-year-old athlete at a strong position with some off-field problems, the Jets had to be exceedingly confident in his talent level relative to the spot in which he was selected. Clemons is a “first [or] second-day talent,” as stated by general manager Joe Douglas.
Despite his position, age, and other red flags, the Jets picked Clemons because he was undoubtedly the best available player on their board.
Clemons was crucial to Texas A&M’s passing attack a year ago. He had a significant impact and was quite productive. In this phase, he even outperformed the Jets’ first-round pick, Jermaine Johnson.
Clemons racked up 46 pressures over the course of 10 games in 2021, good for fourth-most among SEC edge rushers, and tied for 32nd among all FBS edge rushers.
These 46 pressures included 8 sacks (6 complete, 2 half), 11 quarterback hits, and 27 quarterback hurries.
Clemons’ pressure rate of 14.0%, based on 46 pressures during 328 pass-rush snaps, placed him in the 84th percentile of all qualified FBS edge rushers.
Micheal Clemons Contract
Micheal Clemons agreed to terms with the New York Jets that will pay him $4,424,096 over the course of four seasons. The deal also includes a $764,096 signing bonus and $764,096 in guaranteed salary.
Micheal Clemons Salary and Net Worth
Micheal Clemons has an average annual salary of $1,106,024. Clemons will earn a base salary of $705,000 and a signing bonus of $764,096, with a cap hit of $896,024 in 2022. Micheal Clemons has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million dollars