One of the best things about NFL training camps is which players at the bottom of the roster will step up to the plate and steal a job unexpectedly.
A name to keep an eye on ahead of New York Jets training camp is wide receiver Xavier Gipson.
The 5-foot-9, 189-pound 22-year-old signed with Gang Green as an undrafted free agent on May 5.
NBC Sports draft analyst Connor Rogers called Gipson an “electric return man” on “The Badlands Podcast.”
The Path to the Jets Roster for Gipson
Gang Green is absolutely loaded with depth in the wide receiver room. Three players are locked to make the roster: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Mecole Hardman.
In addition to those three, Corey Davis and Randall Cobb may not be 100 percent locks but they’re pretty close to that.
That leaves maybe one spot available for eight other wide receivers listed on the current 90-man roster. It’s going to get cut-throat.
Gipson is a pure slot receiver and he provided insane production at Stephen F. Austin:
- 243 receptions
- 4,305 receiving yards
- 37 touchdowns
In addition to his contributions to the Lumberjacks’ offense, the talented wideout also is an elite return man.
During his time in college, he returned four punt returns for touchdowns.
“I would think it’s a situation that Gipson can sneak onto the practice squad,” Rogers explained on “The Badlands Podcast.”
“Honestly he’s probably [the Jets] best punt returner, but how do you roster him? As soon as you signed Randall Cobb that eliminated the chance of keeping a young slot receiver. Like that, all went out the door.”
Hardman Projected Return Man for Jets in 2023
If Gipson doesn’t make the final 53-man roster, Hardman will likely be the lead return man for the Jets this season.
Braxton Berrios was the Jets’ lead kick returner last season with 26 attempts on kickoffs (next closest was Ty Johnson with three). He was also the lead punt returner with 21 attempts in 2022 (no other Jets player had a punt return attempt last season).
Gang Green cut Berrios on Thursday, March 9 in a “cap-related move” according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.
Hardman didn’t do much returning for the Kansas City Chiefs last season with seven combined attempts on kickoffs and punts.
However, it is something he prided himself on coming into the league back in 2019. Hardman was voted a second-team All-Pro and earned a Pro Bowl nomination for his skills as a return man.
Berrios ran a 4.44 40-yard dash coming out back in 2018. Hardman ran a blazing 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
That .11-second difference could change a 25-yard return to a game-altering touchdown return.
“I mean, you’ve got a bunch of them,” coach Brant Boyer said about the Jets’ returner options via Caroline Hendershot. “I think it’s a talented group, I really do. They’re doing a nice job catching and tracking and things like that so far, so we’ll see where it takes us. Once we get into pads, we’ll see how well they do. Mecole is electric fast, and he’s had some good success returning the ball. We were happy to get him, that’s for sure.”
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‘Electric’ 22-Year-Old Could Make Some Noise in Jets Camp