On paper, as the beginning of training camp inches closer by the day, the Jets offensive line promises to be stronger, steady and more consistent than in recent memory. In recent years, the organization has made a determined effort to solidify an often-fluid group up front.
It could be different in the 2025 NFL season as the team introduces a new, versatile quarterback in Justin Fields along with a new offensive coordinator in Tanner Engstrand.
"I like the room," Engstrand said during mandatory minicamp in late June. "We have a bunch of good people and guys that are willing to take the coaching and willing to work hard, and that's really what it starts with. Are they talented? Yeah. We have some talented players in that room, clearly, but they're just good guys to be around. They're good with teammates and I believe that we'll be able to lean on those guys."
Case in point: In the past two drafts alone, the Jets spent their top picks on two promising trench warriors -- LT Olu Fashanu (6-6, 312) in 2024 and RT Armand Membou (6-4, 332) this past April. They join a group that includes C Joe Tippmann (6-6, 313; entering his third NFL season), RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (6-5, 308) and the veteran LG John Simpson (6-4, 330). In free agency, the team added C Josh Myers (6-5, 310) and T Chukwuma Okorafor (6-6, 320) to work with a group of holdovers including Max Mitchell (6-6, 307), Carter Warren (6-5, 311) and Xavier Newman (6-2, 297).
"You'd love to say that you have the five right away and you know it, but in reality, you're going to play 10 guys maybe, eight, nine, 10 guys throughout the season, so they're all going to have to learn how to play with each other," Engstand said. "But we don't have a specific timeframe or a specific date and training camp to say that by practice 12, we got to have it. That'll make itself clear when it does."
Through OTAs and minicamp Membou, the No. 7 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, has been impressive with his strength, speed and the way he's quickly adapted to the professional game.
"I think everybody, not just the rookies, everybody, as we're getting to learn this system, there's going to be some thinking going on as we get used to the terminology and how we want to do things," Engstrand said. "I've got to know the play, and then I've got to know the technique that coach wants, but what's the defense? There's a lot of different variables that go on. So, I think everybody has a little bit of that to some degree, I don't want to just call out the rookies on some of that stuff."