Jets Country 2022 Draft Review: Jeremy Ruckert Plays Minimal Role as Rookie

Tight end Jeremy Ruckert landed with his hometown team, but his first season with the New York Jets left plenty of room for improvement.

“It’s a dream come true," said Ruckert after being selected by Gang Green in Round 3. “I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little kid. I grew up a Jets fan. My whole family grew up as Jets fans. Going to practices when they used to practice at Hofstra and going to games as a kid."

Unfortunately, the hometown kid had difficulty cracking the gameday roster, kicking off his rookie campaign as a Week 1 inactive behind CJ Uzomah, Tyler Conklin and Lawrence Cager. 

With Uzomah tweaking his hamstring during the practice week leading up to Game 2, Ruckert made his NFL debut against the Cleveland Browns. He was on the field for about one-quarter of Gang Green's offensive snaps while earning one target in the 31-30 road victory.

The 6-foot-5 Ruckert was an eight-time gameday inactive during 2022 while totaling nine appearances. He did not flash much potential in the passing game, seemingly struggling to gain adequate separation from defenders.

In four of the games he played, Ruckert only participated as a special teamer and did not log any offensive snaps.

The Empire State product did not record his first career reception until Week 18, pulling in an eight-yard pass in Miami. 

Ruckert totaled on 54 catches for 615 receiving yards over four years at Ohio State, but he was never a primary or secondary target in an offense that featured three first-round receiving talents. 

Despite his minimal role in 2022, Ruckert has maintained his hometown favorite status. He was seen leading a group of Jets' teammates cheering on the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round series on April 21. 

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