Pro Football Rumors
After watching former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold win the Super Bowl, the Jets find themselves in the midst of yet another rebuild. New York hoped a veteran passer like Aaron Rodgers could elevate the franchise to its first winning record since 2015 and its first playoff appearance since 2010, and when that failed, they hoped Justin Fields could build off a strong partial season in Pittsburgh. It became clear neither route was successful as the Jets traded away star defenders Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to acquire draft capital to start building up again.
That clear shift in focus has resulted in a unique roster makeup of older veterans and young talent. At quarterback, the team welcomed back Geno Smith, their second-round pick from 13 years ago, with first- and second-year passers Cade Klubnik and Brady Cook behind him. On defense, storied veterans like linebacker Demario Davis and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick are set to lead a first-team defense that could feature key contributions from four five players in their first three years of play.
The youth on the roster is what New York hopes to build around. Rookies like defensive end David Bailey, tight end Kenyon Sadiq, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., and nickelback D’Angelo Ponds all could develop into immediate starters. They would be joining right tackle Armand Membou, tight end Mason Taylor, and linebacker Kiko Mauigoa, who established starting roles as rookies last year, and 2024 draft picks like wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, left tackle Olu Fashanu, and defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Players drafted in 2022 and 2023 also feature heavily in a starting lineup that New York hopes it will be able to continue developing.
The Jet aren’t expected to start winning games as quickly as next year, but if New York can continue stacking up young talent over the next couple drafts, the hope is that they’ll have built up a deep roster with talent at every position. Until they can finish that building process, though, experienced veterans like Smith and Davis can lead and teach the youth around them as the bridge the gap to the young starters that will eventually replace them.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, a big focus in building the current roster has been size. Acquiring Sweat via trade and drafting Darrell Jackson Jr. in the third round provided New York with 366- and 315-pound defensive tackles, respectively. He adds that bringing in the 248-pound Davis at middle linebacker will allow the Jets to shift 216-pound backer Jamien Sherwood to the weak side. They hoped third-year pass rusher Will McDonald IV would add a little weight to help improve his run defense, but he just hasn’t bulked up like they thought he would, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
New York may not quench their playoff drought this year, but that hasn’t stopped the team from building towards the future. As they continue to stack young talent, the Jets are relying on key vets to hold down the...
