Gang Green Nation
The ranking doesn’t have much love for Justin Fields.
ESPN tasked three of their NFL analysts to rank every starting lineup in the league. The Jets did not fare well, ranking 29th.
29. New York Jets
Biggest strength: Cornerback. This group isn’t as good as in years past, but it’s still likely the Jets’ best unit. Sauce Gardner battled injuries last season, but the 24-year-old remains one of the league’s best corners, having been a first-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023. Brandon Stephens, who paced the Ravens in defensive snaps played over the past two seasons, was brought in to replace D.J. Reed and should be a solid running mate for Gardner. Michael Carter II, one of the league’s best slot corners, is eyeing a rebound campaign after an injury-plagued 2024. — Clay
Biggest weakness: Quarterback. The Jets replaced Aaron Rodgers with Justin Fields during the offseason, and it has yet to be determined if the latter can establish himself as an impactful NFL starter. Fields, who was benched after six starts in Pittsburgh last season, has a career 47.1 QBR, which ranks 29th out of 34 qualified QBs during the span. He’s a highly impactful player as a rusher, but hasn’t finished a season with 2,600 yards or 18 TDs through the air. Tyrod Taylor returns as the fallback option. — Clay
X factor for 2025: Tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou. Fashanu ranked 43rd out of 66 tackles in pass block win rate (88%) as a rookie, but both tackles have the chance to be plus starters. Fields has been known to take a sack (or three), and good (or not) pass protection could be the difference between this offense being efficient (or not). — Walder
Nonstarter to know: Center Josh Myers. He was a starter for the past three seasons in Green Bay, but Myers signed a one-year deal in New York to be a backup. It seems like a strange decision, but Myers gives the Jets fantastic depth if there are injuries at any of the three interior line positions. — Schatz
The analysts who compiled the ranking were Aaron Schatz, Seth Walder, and Mike Clay. They are three of the sharper analysts employed by ESPN, but it is worth noting that their record on assessing the Jets isn’t spotless. A year ago, they rated a Jets starting lineup that finished 5-12 as the fourth best in the league. That was one spot ahead of the Lions, who finished 14-3.
When it comes to the substance of the analysis, I think they are generally accurate. The play of Fields and the tackles will go a long way towards determining how competitive this team is. If Fields can elevate his play to an acceptable level, and the tackles produce in their respective first full seasons as NFL starters, the Jets should be able to move the pass at a reasonable rate. Pair it with a defense that has...
