Position by position: Are the Jets better or worse than 2024 heading into minicamp?

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- When mandatory minicamp opened past June, the New York Jets made quality for the incorrect reasons. Two of their astir salient players were no-shows. One was connected the different broadside of the world, investigating the riddle of the Sphinx. The different was connected the different broadside of New Jersey, spinning his ain riddle with a perplexing holdout.

The second was newly-acquired borderline rusher Haason Reddick, who would proceed his holdout until October. The erstwhile was backmost Aaron Rodgers, who decided to skip minicamp successful favour of a abrogation to Egypt. It was a atrocious look for Rodgers and the Jets, who became enveloped successful a contention that could've been easy avoided.

A twelvemonth later, nary 1 is talking astir camels and pyramids astir the Jets. For a change, the absorption is connected football.

"The players get it," first-year manager Aaron Glenn said. "Each time we spell out, man, we spell retired with a purpose. We don't discarded the day, and the guys are connected point."

Glenn praised his players' enactment ethic and information level passim the voluntary information of the offseason, which concluded past week. Next up is the mandatory minicamp, which begins Tuesday -- different measurement successful Glenn's quest to rebuild the Jets' culture. A distraction-free outpouring surely helps, but that's lone portion of the process of flipping a losing concern (nine consecutive sub-.500 seasons).

It takes talent, and it's just to wonderment if the Jets person regressed successful that area. Let's marque a position-by-position examination to past play and look astatine whether they're better, the aforesaid oregon worse:

Quarterback

2025: Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor

2024: Rodgers, Taylor

Rodgers is 1 of the astir accomplished passers successful history, truthful this is simply a no-brainer, right? Not exactly. Based connected the what person you done lately criterion, it's person than you think. In their past 17 starts, Fields is superior to Rodgers successful Total QBR (52.0 to 48.0), completion percent implicit expected (2.4% to -5.2%) and yards per effort (7.0 to 6.7). Fields besides has a amended grounds arsenic a starter -- 9-8 to 5-12.

Truthfully, neither 1 played good implicit that span. The mitigating factor: Rodgers was successful his age-41 season, coming disconnected a torn Achilles. If Fields doesn't amended connected these numbers successful 2025, the Jets could beryllium successful trouble. They judge Fields, 26, is an ascending player. His understated demeanor should marque him a amended acceptable with Glenn than Rodgers would've been.

"I'm not going to spell retired determination and accidental that he's the adjacent Joe Namath oregon thing similar that," Glenn said astir Fields, "but I volition archer you what: He's going to beryllium a bully subordinate for us, and I'm excited with what he's going to bash for america this season."

Result: Same.

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Why Louis Riddick thinks Justin Fields volition person a vocation year

Louis Riddick explains wherefore Justin Fields could person a vocation twelvemonth with the Jets.

Running back

2025: Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis

2024: Hall, Allen, Davis

Same group, antithetic approach.

The Jets privation to tally the ball, and the program is to utilize each 3 backs. Hall was the focal constituent past season, but helium rushed for lone 876 yards, successful part, due to the fact that the discourtesy revolved astir Rodgers' passing. Hall ne'er reached 20 rushing attempts successful a game, which is hard to judge for a subordinate of his ability. If he's not a high-volume runner again this season, it won't beryllium due to the fact that of neglect. It volition beryllium due to the fact that Allen and Davis are talented, too, and Glenn has made it wide helium wants them involved.

Result: Same.

Wide receiver

2025: Garrett Wilson, Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson, Tyler Johnson, Arian Smith, Malachi Corley

2024: Wilson, Davante Adams, Lazard, Gipson, Mike Williams (traded astatine midseason), Corley

Adams was a three-month rental, but helium produced awesome numbers -- 67 receptions, 857 yards and 7 touchdowns successful 11 games. The existent roster has nary 1 who tin replicate those numbers successful a WR2 role, which means opponents volition absorption their crippled program connected Wilson.

Reynolds and Lazard are what they are -- experienced, big-bodied targets with humble velocity and production. Neither 1 has caught much than 60 balls successful a season. They are what Hall of Fame manager Bill Parcells utilized to telephone stop-gap players.

The Jets' anticipation is that rookie speedster Arian Smith tin enactment his mode into the mix, but that's asking a lot. It's clip for Corley, a erstwhile third-round prime who's coming disconnected a disappointing rookie year, to marque his move. His minicamp presumption is uncertain, arsenic helium sat retired the second information of OTAs with an undisclosed injury.

Result: Worse.

Tight end

2025: Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert, Stone Smartt

2024: Tyler Conklin, Ruckert, Kenny Yeboah

The archetypal thought is to accidental the presumption regressed due to the fact that Conklin (270 receptions implicit 3 seasons) is gone but instrumentality a person look: He was a possession receiver, fundamentally a checkdown option. Taylor, this year's second-round pick, has a accidental to beryllium much than that. The question is, however agelong volition it instrumentality earlier helium gets comfortable? The coaches similar Taylor's imaginable arsenic a blocker, which matters successful this offense. After 3 nondescript seasons, Ruckert has shown improvement, according to Glenn.

This volition beryllium a amended blocking portion than past season, but the aforesaid can't beryllium said astir the receiving -- yet.

Result: Same.

Offensive line

2025: Olu Fashanu, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann/Josh Myers, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Armand Membou, Chukwuma Okorafor, Max Mitchell, Carter Warren,

2024: Tyron Smith/Fashanu, Simpson, Tippmann, Vera-Tucker, Morgan Moses, Mitchell, Warren.

This is simply a overmuch younger and much mobile enactment than past year's group, particularly with Membou (2025 archetypal round) replacing Moses, 34, astatine close tackle. There volition beryllium immoderate increasing pains, adjacent with Fashanu (2024 archetypal round), but the ceiling for the starting 5 is high. It should be, considering it includes 3 erstwhile first-round picks.

The cardinal is solidifying the all-important halfway position, arsenic Tippmann and Myers (a four-year starter for the Green Bay Packers) proceed to conflict for the job. The extent astatine halfway and tackle is improved implicit past year.

Result: Better.

Defensive line

2025: Quinnen Williams, Will McDonald IV, Jermaine Johnson, Byron Cowart, Micheal Clemons, Derrick Nnadi, Jay Tufele, Tyler Baron, Leonard Taylor III

2024: Williams, McDonald, Clemons, Reddick, Javon Kinlaw, Solomon Thomas, Taylor

In 2023, this was the strongest and deepest presumption radical connected the team. Not anymore. The endowment level has plateaued aft dropping disconnected past season. Williams and McDonald comprise a bully inside-outside tandem. If Johnson (Achilles surgery) returns to his 2023 form, the Jets volition person 3 prime linemen for their 4-3 front. Cowart, a seasoned wide-body, has the wrong way connected the 4th starting job. The remainder of the players are rotation-caliber.

Depth is simply a question, particularly connected the edge, though it won't instrumentality overmuch to regenerate Reddick's accumulation (one sack).

Result: Better (if Johnson is 100%).

Linebacker

2025: Jamien Sherwood, Quincy Williams, Jamin Davis, Zaire Barnes,

2024: Sherwood, Williams, C.J. Mosley, Chazz Surratt, Barnes, Davis

They volition rotation again with Sherwood and Williams arsenic their each down linebackers, and that's not a atrocious thing. They mightiness beryllium undersized, but they bring turbo-like velocity to the position. The caller authorities expects large things retired of Sherwood, who was rewarded with a three-year, $45 cardinal declaration this offseason. Mosley's enactment volition beryllium missed, but the squad had small prime but to determination on, considering age, headdress and injury.

Result: Same.

Secondary

2025: Sauce Gardner, Brandon Stephens, Andre Cisco, Tony Adams, Michael Carter II, Isaiah Oliver, Azareye'h Thomas, Kris Boyd, Malachi Moore, Qwan'tez Stiggers

2024: Gardner, D.J. Reed, Chuck Clark, Adams, Carter, Oliver, Brandin Echols, Jalen Mills, Ashtyn Davis, Stiggers

It each hinges connected the Stephens-for-Reed swap astatine cornerback. They saved $9 cardinal successful guarantees by signing Stephens and letting Reed locomotion successful escaped agency, but did they get better? It's hard to accidental they did due to the fact that Stephens is coming disconnected a down twelvemonth with the Baltimore Ravens; helium was targeted 98 times arsenic the nearest defender, 5th astir among corners, per Next Gen Stats. The Jets judge he's amended than his stats, that he's an perfect strategy fit.

Cisco is simply a flimsy upgrade implicit Clark astatine information successful presumption of walk coverage, though he, too, is coming disconnected a subpar play with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Result: Worse.

Special teams

2025: K Anders Carlson/Caden Davis, P Austin McNamara/Kai Kroeger, PR Gipson, KR Kene Nwangwu

2024: K Greg Zuerlein, P Thomas Morstead, PR Gipson, KR Gipson

Do we truly person to gully a conclusion? Statistically, Zuerlein and Morstead were among the worst astatine their respective positions past season, resulting successful pinkish slips. Their imaginable replacements are mostly untested, but for Carlson, a erstwhile draught prime of the Packers, who has bounced around.

P.S. The Packers drafted him with a prime acquired from the Jets successful the 2023 Rodgers trade. It ever comes backmost to Rodgers.

Result: Same.

Summary

The Jets improved connected some lines, which should marque them a much carnal squad than past season. They regressed astatine wide receiver and successful the secondary but held dependable successful the different areas. If you're scoring astatine home, it's a toss-up betwixt 2024 and 2025, though it feels similar the existent roster has a fewer much holes than past play due to the fact that of extent issues successful cardinal positions.

Their projected triumph full is 6.7, according to ESPN's Football Power Index. The lone AFC squad with a little projection is the Cleveland Browns (6.3). Of course, a batch tin hap betwixt present and Sept. 7, erstwhile the Jets unfastened the play against Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Glenn has refrained from discussing immoderate expectations, saying, "We're successful underwear. Once we get the pads connected [in grooming camp], I tin springiness you a amended answer."

Final result: Same.