Getty New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis attempts to turn upfield after a catch on December 13, 2020.
The New York Jets have not excelled at skill position areas over the past few seasons but that might be changing fast.
NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt ranked his top 10 most exciting new quarterback-wide receiver duos in 2021 and the Jets came in at number three with Zach Wilson and Corey Davis.
Both of these players will be extremely important in the turnaround of this franchise, which is the goal for Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh. The number two overall pick who has the weight of the world on his shoulders in New York and the former first-round pick that was paid handsomely to be the Jets wide receiver one.
The talent is certainly there, but can this duo be the first since Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall to put up big numbers in green and white?
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Corey Davis Poised for Breakout
As Brandt noted Davis “ranked third among players with 90-plus targets in catch rate above expectation (+9.6%) last season, per Next Gen Stats, behind only Stefon Diggs and Davante Adams, generating a passer rating of 123.6 when targeted.”
That’s some pretty tremendous company to keep.
Whether due to Tennessee’s run-heavy approach or starting his career with a sub-par passer like Marcus Mariota, Davis didn’t really live up to his draft status with the Titans. He has a much greater chance of breaking out with the Jets after a career season in 2020.
Davis also knows this system, being that it’s very similar to Arthur Smith’s offense in Tennessee. Keep in mind Smith took over for Mike LaFleur’s brother Matt when he became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
The Jets may be a tad run-heavy as well in 2021 but expect the ball to be thrown Davis’ way early and often as the true number one target for the first time since 2018.
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Zach Wilson Is Jets’ Best Pure Passer in Decades
I know, I know, let’s wait till the kid plays in a game first. Still, based on analytics and scouting, Wilson is the best purer thrower the Jets have had in a long time.
In Flight 2021: An Offseason with the New York Jets, Gang Green’s director of football analytics Brian Shields gave an inside look at the franchise’s opinion of the rookie.
“His arm talent numbers really stood out,” said Shields, “in terms of how we grade guys he was As in almost everything we look at.”
The analytics pro went on to elaborate that Wilson was an A grade in 20-plus yard passing attempts, throwing under pressure, play-action passing, and throwing the ball on the run. He also mentioned that the Jets graded him higher than every other rookie quarterback (including Trevor Lawrence) in “tight-window” passing and accuracy.
One of those areas could mean excellent things for Davis, play-action passing.
New York is expected to utilize the play-action a ton in 2021 and Davis is a phenomenal route-runner when it comes to double moves and downfield releases. Count on LaFleur two capitalize on these two strengths and work the playbook around them.
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Major Improvements in Jets Wide Receiving Room
There has been a bit of an overreaction trending on Twitter that Jets fans think they have the best wide receiving core in football.
I’m not sure who started that rumor but I’m pretty sure 95% of Jets fans don’t think that. We do believe that this group has made major strides since the Sam Darnold era, however.
Davis is now the headliner but tantalizing rookie Elijah Moore joins upside prospect Denzel Mims and master slot-receiver Jamison Crowder. Don’t forget Keelan Cole, who Douglas added in free agency this offseason.
When you take into account a grinder like Braxton Berrios and speedsters like Vyncint Smith, this Jets receiving core is deeper than ever, and I know one prospect out of BYU couldn’t be happier about it.
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