Gang Green Nation
The Jets are gradually building a very good offensive line
My favorite era of New York Jets football was right around 2009. Not only did the Jets have the best cornerback that I’ve ever seen, but they also had this dominant offense line that completely dominated the matchups more weeks than not. I miss that era quite a bit, especially in light of the current playoff drought.
But, you know what, they might just be on their way to getting that dominant offensive line identity back, which would go a long way in getting the franchise back to credible.
First, there’s a very promising first round tackle in Olu Fashanu who is earning his stripes very quickly.
To his right, we have guard John Simpson, who has gone under the radar despite putting up a season-long performance that should warrant Pro Bowl consideration.
To Simpson’s right is second year center Joe Tippman, who ranks 8th among centers according to Pro Football Focus with a grade of 72.8. Not too shabby for a second year center.
To Simpson’s right is guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who I’ve long been skeptical of but who seems to be coming into his own in year 4.
While right tackle is a bit of a question long-term given that it’s currently held by 33-year-old Morgan Moses, that would still leave the New York Jets with 4/5 of their line held by competent players who are under 27 years old or younger. That’s a really enviable situation that a lot of NFL teams wish they had, and it’s potentially very sustainable long-term.
For a change, the offensive line looks like a building block and not a sieve. Talk about a plan coming together, and it’s something that the former regime of general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh really should be proud of and get credit for building over the past few years.
