One New York Jets Rookie Who Could Win a Starting Job Out of Camp
Newsweek · C · trust 50/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. With teams on their month-long break from mid-June to mid-July in between minicamp and training camp, we’ve reached the deadest point of the NFL offseason.
But fortunately for football fans, there’s just three weeks left before training camp kicks off, followed by the preseason and regular season, which starts the week of Sept. 7.
Until then, we’ve done training camp previews and analyzed the top position battle to watch for all 32 teams. Next up in our offseason series is looking at one rookie from every team who could win a starting job in training camp this season, and today we’re looking at the New York Jets .
Honestly, any one of the Jets’ first four draft picks could win a starting job this summer.
Bailey is expected to slot in opposite Will McDonald IV and lock down the edges along the defensive line. Sadiq should compete with Mason Taylor for first-team reps at tight end, but Cooper Jr. is the player we’ll focus on for this exercise.
The Jets’ passing game was awful last season, ranking dead last (140.3 yards per game). While quarterback Geno Smith should be an upgrade over both Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor, he’s not the kind of QB who can elevate the players around him.
Getting Garrett Wilson back fully healthy will help, but beyond the former Offensive Rookie of the Year, New York’s WR depth leaves much to be desired with Adonai Mitchell, Isaiah Williams, and Arian Smith combining for just 57 catches, 546 yards, and two touchdowns last year.
Cooper Jr. was a scoring machine last year at Indiana, logging 13 TDs. Nearly 20% of all his catches were scores. The season before, he averaged 21.2 yards per catch, meaning he can also serve as the Jets’ big-play threat down field too.
It’s likely the Jets head into Week 1 with Wilson as their WR1, Cooper Jr. as their WR2, and Sadiq as their TE1.
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