FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets opened mandatory minicamp with great news across the board.
Unlike many teams that are dealing with star absences, New York has full participation from the 90-man roster, including stars in line for their own extensions.
As with any practice, we have some key takeaways from the sideline.
Let's get to those now.
Justin Fields Impresses Today was a very good day for Justin Fields. Throughout OTAs, it was clear that when the former first-round pick was decisive, he looked to be in good command of the offense.
The issue was that he struggled with consistency.
There were still some issues regarding reading defenses on Tuesday, but this was one of Fields' best days in a Jets uniform to this point. On both "move the ball" periods, he led the team into scoring range. He was also very protective of the football, throwing away passes that didn't have a chance to be completed.
New coach Aaron Glenn made a note afterward to praise Fields for that specifically.
Fields' best throw came in a two-minute drill where he fired a bullet over the middle of the field to Josh Reynolds. He was ahead of his reads, stepped up in the pocket, and delivered an accurate ball.
More of that, and Fields will continue his climb toward a successful season.
Garrett Wilson Show In case it wasn't clear, Wilson is set show off his star-quality stuff this year. Fields targeted him early and often. The Jets' scheme also helped, as Wilson was open quite often.
On the very first play of team drills, Wilson ran an out-route that completely left Brandon Stephens in the dust.
Wilson eventually needs a new contract, but he's practicing like he wants to be the best receiver in football.
Defensive Line Eats Quinnen Williams and Will McDonald each had multiple sacks during Tuesday's practice.
McDonald, in particular, looks almost unblockable at this stage of offseason workouts. He has gotten bigger, stronger, and faster. While his 10.5-sack season was seen as a breakout last year, it feels like he will be even better in 2025.
On top of that, Rashad Weaver continues to impress. The free agent pickup this offseason looks increasingly like he'll have a role on this defense throughout the year.
Defensive tackle Byron Cowart also made a few nice plays. On one play, QB Tyrod Taylor tried to beat him to the outside and juke him back inside. Cowart stayed with him the whole way, showing athleticism and discipline in the interior.
Rookie Shines If there was a rookie who stood out today during workouts, it was definitely third-round cornerback AZ Thomas. The Florida State product looked very strong in coverage today, forcing the opposition to hold on to the ball for a long time.
Armand Membou, the seventh overall pick, certainly has improved, but today was about Thomas. If he can find a way to put some good workouts together when the pads come on, he'll make things quite interesting for New York's defense.
Injury Updates At the start of practice, fourth-round rookie Arian Smith was seen working out on the side field. It appeared he was dealing with an injury similar to what Malachi Corley and Jermaine Johnson were doing.
While we did not see Smith in team drills, he worked out as a punt returner. The Jets did not disclose any injuries Tuesday, but he clearly still wanted to take reps as a returner. Though he wasn't a returner in college, he's smart to want to take a crack at every opportunity.
Outside of that, the Jets teased the potential of Jermaine Johnson beginning training camp on the PUP list, but Glenn stated that he would be ready for the start of the season.