The 2010s will go down as one of the most painful decades in New York Jets history. A red hot start that included a trip to the AFC Championship game wound up as not only the peak of Jets football but their only playoff appearance. The team saw three head coaches, four general managers, and a whole lot of angry fans. But where there was all this disappointment were a handful of players who made the most of it. This group gave it their all each and every Sunday in green and white, and for that, they made the New York Jets All-Decade team.
New York Jets All-Decade Team
Offense
Quarterback: Mark Sanchez (2009-2012)
Instability at the quarterback position plagued the Jets for the whole decade, yet for a short time there, it really did seem like Mark Sanchez was something special. From 2010-2012, the Jets had a 25-22 with Sanchez under center. He only missed one start, not to mention he did, after all, lead the Jets to their only playoff berth of the decade, all the way to the AFC Championship game.
Running Back: Chris Ivory (2013-2015)
Acquired in a trade from the New Orleans Saints prior to the 2013 season, Chris Ivory was a wrecking ball in a Jets uniform. Getting the nod over Shonn Greene and Bilal Powell because of his production, he rushed for 2,274 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons. Ivory also made the Pro Bowl in 2015 before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wide Receivers: Brandon Marshall (2015-2016), Eric Decker (2014-2016), and Robby Anderson (2016-2019)
The wide receiver position was one of the most inconsistent for the Jets this decade. However, it did have its moments. The combination of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker was one of the best in the league during the 2015 season. The pair combined for 2,529 and 26 touchdowns during the only winning season the team had aside from 2010. The last spot could simply go to Santonio Holmes because of clutch play in the regular season and postseason. However, between injuries and only 2,128 yards in four seasons, it goes to Robby Anderson. The undrafted free agent from Temple burst onto the scene for the Jets as a downfield threat. Now on the Carolina Panthers, Anderson posted 3,059 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 14.8 yard per reception rate in his time with Gang Green.
Tight End: Dustin Keller (2008-2012)
For the Jets, until recently the tight end position seemingly disappeared. After consistency Dustin Keller brought to the position, it was impossible to replicate. Sanchez’s go-to weapon, Keller caught 10 touchdowns to go with 1,502 yards from 2010-2011. Unfortunately for Keller, injuries slowed him down and he suffered what wound up being a career-ending knee injury on the Miami Dolphins in 2013.
Offensive Tackles: D’Brickashaw Ferguson (2006-2015) and Kelvin Beachum (2017-2019)
The left tackle position is one of the most important in the NFL, and to get two players as consistent as D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Kelvin Beachum was hard to do. Ferguson manned the position for 10 years, including three Pro Bowls, and only missed one snap. Once he retired, the position was in flux for a season before the Jets signed Beachum. Over three seasons, he was consistent through 45 starts and has been the Jets’ best offensive lineman during his tenure.
Interior Offensive Lineman: Center Nick Mangold (2006-2016), Guards Brandon Moore (2003-2012), and James Carpenter (2015-2018)
The Jets had their fair share of quality offensive lineman over the decade, with the best easily being future Hall of Fame center Nick Mangold. Entering the decade at the top of his game, Mangold went on to have five of his seven Pro Bowls during the 2010s. He even made the All-Pro team in 2010. Brandon Moore was extremely underrated over his tenure next to Mangold for seven years. Starting every game from 2005-on, Moore finally made a Pro Bowl in 2011. For the last guard spot, James Carpenter gets the slight edge over Brian Winters because of health. Carpenter missed just six games over his four-year deal, even grading out as one of the top 30 guards in the league in 2015-2016.
Defense
Defensive Lineman: Defensive ends Muhammad Wilkerson (2011-2017), Sheldon Richardson (2013-2016), and defensive tackle Damon Harrison (2012-2015)
The Jets spent five first-round picks on defensive lineman… and none of them lasted more than seven seasons. But the potential was there. Muhammad Wilkerson was plagued by inconsistency and off-field issues to end his Jets’ tenure. From 2013-2015 though, Wilkerson was one of the best linemen by age 26 with 28.5 sacks over the span. Like Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson’s off-field issues led to his downfall, with a locker room feud with Brandon Marshall leading him to be traded in 2017 to the Seattle Seahawks. While a Jet, Richardson made a Pro Bowl in 2014, a year after winning defensive rookie of the year. Believe it or not, the undrafted Damon Harrison wound up the most productive and consistent of the three. Starting in 48 straight games to end his time in a Jets uniform, he established himself as the league’s best nose tackle.
Linebackers: Calvin Pace (2008-2015), Jordan Jenkins (2016-Present), David Harris (2007-2016), and Demario Davis (2012-2015, 2017)
It has been a long time since the Jets had an elite pass-rushing threat. In the 2010s, Calvin Pace and Jordan Jenkins provided consistency off the edge at the position. Pace lasted eight seasons for the Jets, averaging around 5.5 sacks per season. Drafted as a run stopper, Jenkins has improved as a pass rusher every year, with 8.0 sacks in 2019. On the inside, David “The Hitman” Harris was extremely underrated. He never missed a game from 2010-2015 and averaged about 126 tackles per season. Demario Davis made a strong duo with Harris from 2012-2015. Then again in 2017 he was reacquired and became the natural leader he is today.
Defensive Backs: Cornerbacks Darrelle Revis (2007-2012, 2015-2016) and Antonio Cromartie (2010-2013, 2015), strong safety Jamal Adams (2017-Present), and free safety Marcus Maye (2017-Present)
For the Jets, their first dynamic secondary duo came from Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. The “Batman and Robin” combo saw them both enter the decade at the top of their game. At Revis’ peak, nobody would ever throw to him. While his downfall in 2016 was painful to watch, Revis made two All-Pro teams, three Pro Bowls, and is the best Jets player of the decade. Cromartie made two Pro Bowls in 2012 and 2013, with 13 interceptions over five seasons as a Jet. Just one season later, the next duo came from the 2017 draft in strong safety Jamal Adams and free safety Marcus Maye. In three seasons, Adams has established himself as the best safety in the league. Thanks to Maye’s fantastic coverage, Adams is able to be the ultimate swiss-army knife. Adams has made two Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro, while Maye is a top-notch starter.
Special Teams
Kicker: Nick Folk (2010-2016)
Beating out Jason Myers because of longevity, Nick Folk became a Jets playoff legend during their playoff runs at the start of the decade. Folk has multiple clutch, game-winning kicks to his name, he became known as “The Folk Tale.” Eventually, his inconsistency caught up with him as the Jets moved on after 2016.
Punter: Lachlan Edwards (2016-2019)
Currently a free agent, the former 2016 seventh-round pick Lachlan Edwards held the punter position for the longest of the decade. Through four seasons, he was not the best or most consistent punter, but Edwards got the job done for Gang Green.
Return Specialists: Kick returner Joe McKnight (2010-2012) and Punt returner Andre Roberts
A fourth-round pick in 2010, the late Joe McKnight was an elite kick returner in 2011 and 2012. Through three seasons, he averaged 29.0 yards per kick return and was always a threat to give the Jets great field position. The same goes for Andre Roberts. The veteran receiver had a career year in 2018 where he was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro punt returner. Averaging 14.1 yards per return and a touchdown, Roberts helped the Jets special teams become one of the most dangerous.
Head Coach
Rex Ryan (37-43)
It is not good when the best head coach of the decade for a team has a losing record. For Rex Ryan, he never shied away from the spotlight. From a defensive standpoint, the Jets always had a top 11 defense with Ryan as the coach and never shied away from getting after the quarterback. In the end, poor quarterback and offensive performances led to Ryan’s eventual departure as leading the team to back-to-back AFC Championship games no longer could keep him safe.
Last Word on the New York Jets All-Decade Team
The New York Jets of the 2010s will be known for quarterback play and poor offense holding the team back. For fans, they will never forget falling short of the Super Bowl in 2010. Or Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s Week 17 meltdown in 2015. Looking back, they also will never forget the week-to-week effort put out by these players. Entering the 2020s, the Jets hope to find similar talent from their current and future players.
