Teams with a new head coach, three new coordinators and a new starting QB don't always thunder from the starting grid. Then again, sometimes they do. And the Jets have a group of finely tuned veteran engines mixed in among the young, promising hotrods to do damage in Aaron Glenn's first race as an NFL head coach.
On offense, highly productive WR Garrett Wilson is reestablishing his Ohio State connection with Justin Fields, while explosive Breece Hall leads an intriguing RB by committee and rookie Mason Taylor adds a promising dimension at TE, all working with a line that blends youth, experience and talent to keep the chains moving.
While the offense has been getting the lion's share of attention, it would be a mistake to overlook the Jets defense, which features standouts at all three levels — Quinnen Williams and Will McDonald IV up front, team-MVP-quality LBs Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams, and consummate corner Sauce Gardner. As veteran DC Steve Wilks says: "We have a lot of stars on this defense, but really, the defense is the star."
Here is a breakdown of the 53 players on the Jets active roster as they rev up for the season ahead.
QUARTERBACKS
NEW VET: Justin Fields (5th year). RETURNEE: Tyrod Taylor (15th).
SUMMARY: The ball is in Fields' court, and the fairly quiet, freaky quick QB seems unfazed by being with his third team and offense in three years. In fact, as Fields has said, "I think I can be great, and that's been the goal for me my whole career." His passing accuracy, rating and drive efficiency have improved steadily every year since he was the Bears' 11th overall selection in '21. And he is one of the three best rushing QBs in the past decade with a career 6.00 yards/carry. Taylor, rehabbing from minor preseason knee surgery, is the steady veteran backup who in limited action last year set personal season marks in accuracy (17-of-22, 77.3%) and rating (128.6) and directed the Jets to TDs on all three of his drives.
RUNNING BACKS
RETURNEES: Breece Hall (4th year), Braelon Allen (2nd), Isaiah Davis (2nd), Kene Nwangwu (5th). NEW VET: FB Andrew Beck (6th).
SUMMARY: Hall remains the chairman of this committee of versatile backs. Even though some of his key metrics dipped last year, he retained his big-play dimension — in his first three seasons, he had 7 plays of 50-plus yards (4 runs, 3 receptions) that has already set the franchise RBs mark. Allen was one of the league's best short-yardage backs, converting all 9 of his 3rd-and-1 runs. Davis packed a gaudy 5.8 yards/carry and joined Hall and Allen as the first trio of Jets backs to each score at least 1 rush TD and 1 receiving TD in a season since 1989. Nwangwu is also dangerous at RB and especially as a KR. Beck displayed his receiving skills this summer in addition to his other FB traits.
WIDE RECEIVERS
RETURNEES: Garrett Wilson (4th year), Allen Lazard (7th), Xavier Gipson (3rd). NEW VET: Josh Reynolds (9th). NEWCOMER: Arian Smith (rookie—Rd. 4).
SUMMARY: Wilson is already the only Jet with 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in 3 consecutive seasons, all done from the start of his career, and he appears focused on doing it a fourth time. Other vets in the WR room: Lazard improved in his second Green & White season and wanted to stay with the new regime, and Reynolds, who played for Detroit for 2½ seasons while Glenn was DC, brings production and savvy. Gipson remains an effective switch-hitter at WR and kick returner. The speedy Smith improved through August on his routes and hands.
TIGHT ENDS
RETURNEE: Jeremy Ruckert (4th year). NEW VETS: Stone Smartt (4th), Jelani Woods (2nd). NEWCOMER: Mason Taylor (rookie—Rd. 2).
SUMMARY: Ruckert, the senior member of the TE room, intends to not only block like a brick wall but also improve on his season bests in receptions (18) and yards (151) and score his first NFL touchdown. Taylor is the hot newcomer with the two Pro Football Hall of Fame relatives (dad Jason and uncle Zach Thomas) and a personal 28-game receiving streak at LSU that he would like to extend as one of Justin Fields' sure-handed receiving options. Smartt looked sharp on his 24-yard receiving TD in the preseason opener. Late waiver addition Woods (6-7, 253) has the size as both a blocker and receiver.
OFFENSIVE LINE
RETURNEES: G John Simpson (6th year), G Alijah Vera-Tucker (5th year), C Joe Tippmann (3rd), OL Max Mitchell (4th), OL Xavier Newman (3rd), T Olu Fashanu (2nd). NEW VETS: OL Chukwuma Okorafor (7th), C Josh Myers (5th). NEWCOMERS: T Armand Membou (rookie—Rd. 1), T Esa Pole (rookie—waivers).
SUMMARY: Working from the first-round bookends in, the promising O-line features Fashanu settling in at LT in his second season while Membou has shown great promise at RT. RG is manned by the versatile Vera-Tucker and LG by the rock-solid Simpson. The C battle was waged all summer between incumbent Tippmann and former Green Bay starter Myers, and AG didn't announce the winner until this week: It's Tippmann, with Myers becoming a valued interior backup. Okorafor is an experienced swing tackle, while Mitchell and Newman have also displayed their line versatility and waiver pickup Pole is massive at 6-7, 319.