Football is back baby!
The New York Jets rookies reported for duty on July 18 and the rest of the team will follow suit on Tuesday, July 23. The first practice is on Wednesday, July 24 and we will be officially off to the races.
Before we get there, our Jets Digital Reporter for Heavy, Paul “Boy Green” Esden Jr will predict who makes the final 53-man roster.
53-Man Roster Projection for the Offense
Quarterback (3)
This is as solidified as any position on the roster. The only potential mystery is the health status of rookie Jordan Travis out of Florida State.
He suffered a gruesome leg fracture during his final campaign with the Seminoles. He should be the third quarterback if he’s ready to go by the time the season rolls around.
However, if the injury issues persist, the Jets might have to redshirt Travis by placing him on IR in 2024. Gang Green would then be forced to find an alternative option for the third quarterback role.
Running back (4)
The top three are absolute roster locks. Hall is a budding star and the other two are rookies (Allen and Davis). General manager Joe Douglas has only ever cut one rookie in the same year that he drafted them. That was Zack Kuntz last year who was a seventh-round draft choice. Once he cleared waivers, the team brought him back on the practice squad later that week.
Wide receiver (7)
- Garrett Wilson, Malachi Corley, Mike Williams, Xavier Gipson, Irv Charles, Allen Lazard, and Jason Brownlee.
This will be a fascinating roster/depth chart battle to watch over the coming weeks. There are several roster locks in this group, but the backend of the depth chart is fascinating.
Team insiders can’t stop raving about Brownlee as a “dark horse” player to watch. Statistically speaking he didn’t do much during his rookie campaign, but there have been some flashes.
A forgotten #Jets freak is turning heads at the team facility!
Rich Cimini of ESPN said WR Jason Brownlee (@Slideweezy) is a “name to watch.”
“One player who has impressed is wide receiver Jason Brownlee, who was featured in “Hard Knocks” last summer and made the team as an…
Tight end (3)
Conklin and Ruckert are absolute locks, but the third spot in this group is certainly up for grabs. Yeboah has the edge heading into camp with his prowess on special teams and the love of the coaching staff.
Kuntz is a fun player to mess around with in Madden, but unless he makes some major strides in camp he is likely destined for the practice squad.
Offensive line (10)
- Tyron Smith, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Morgan Moses, Olu Fashanu, Max Mitchell, Wes Schweitzer, Carter Warren, and Kohl Levao.
The Jets only kept nine offensive linemen last year and Douglas later admitted that was a mistake. I think he makes up for it this year with some extra padding in the trenches.
The surprise of this group and perhaps one of the best stories in training camp is that of Kohl Levao.
The former UFL standout carved a unique path to the NFL. Levao’s versatility is incredibly attractive for a team that has suffered a lot of injuries over the last couple of years.
53-Man Roster Projection for the Defense and Special Teams
Defensive line (10)
- Haason Reddick, Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, Javon Kinlaw, Will McDonald, Micheal Clemons, Leki Fotu, Solomon Thomas, Eric Watts, and Leonard Taylor III.
The straw that stirs the drink for the Jets is their attacking style defense, their overall depth, and the defensive line. New York likes to attack opponents in waves which keeps everyone fresh throughout the game.
To employ that strategy, the Jets need plenty of talented bodies, and boy do they have them this year. This is a nice balance of veterans, superstars, and some unheralded undrafted free-agent gems.
In this projection I have both Watts and LT3 making it onto the 53-man roster. Both players didn’t hear their names called during April’s draft but have impressive resumes and/or impressive physiques/talent.
Linebackers (4)
The Jets have one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL. Pro Football Focus actually crowned the green and white as the top unit back in June.
Sherwood feels like a lock as a key special teamer and top reserve option. There could be a path to four or five linebackers making the 53, but in this scenario, I have them with four. Surratt is someone the coaching staff raved about last year.
One of my biggest takeaways from the first episode of #HardKnocks? LB Chazz Surratt sounds like he’s making the #Jets roster + Robert Saleh said, ‘I f****** love that guy’ 🤣 ‘that’s my f****** dog’ 👀 I didn’t realize how much coaching staff loves him 🎥 @NFLFilms #TakeFlight
Cornerbacks (5)
Sorry to any other cornerbacks on the 90-man roster, this unit is already a stone-cold lock. The top three are the best trio of corners in the sport. Echols is an outstanding backup who has starting experience.
The final member of this group is the former CFL rookie of the year. Stiggers might be an exclusive special teamer in his rookie campaign, but he has shown some incredible flashes during practice. He will be a fun player to watch in camp to see if he can keep up with the speed of the game.
Safeties (4)
It’s going to be very difficult for someone to steal a roster spot from one of these four safeties. Clark and Adams are the projected starters. Davis and Oliver, based on their contracts, seem like roster locks as well.
The player to keep an eye out for is Mr. Irrelevant, Jaylen Key, who the Jets selected out of Alabama. A very talented player who the front office and coaching staff seem to like.
Special teams (3)
Not much to add here. This is one of the best special teams units in the league and the Jets were able to retain both Zuerlein and Morstead who were scheduled to be free agents this offseason.
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Jets 53-Man Roster Prediction Ahead of Training Camp