A monster, a potential stud, a surprise and many question marks lead the way for Joe Douglas’s New York Jets 2020 rookie class.
Joe Douglas has already executed his in-season public duty. A few days ago, he took the virtual stage and met the media for the regularly-scheduled midseason state of the union.
Shouldering much of the blame (in areas that extend far beyond his doing), Douglas represented a particular type of leader any NFL organization would want leading the front office charge.
Now, it’s time for our duty to ring true. It’s time to grade his first rookie class.
There’s a bonafide stud monster, a jaw-dropping outside threat waiting to bust out, an undrafted surprise, and a bunch of guys fighting like hell to prove Douglas correct. Jet X grades Joe Douglas’s New York Jets 2020 rookie class, starting with the worst grade and finishing with the best.
Incompletes:
- James Morgan (Round 4)
- Bryce Hall (Round 5)
- Zane Lewis (Undrafted)
James Morgan and Bryce Hall hit the incomplete list for very good reason: it was expected that each wouldn’t play up to this point.
In Morgan’s case, it’s obvious. Something would be incredibly wrong to see Morgan see action prior to Week 9. In Hall’s case, his devastating ankle injury in college brought expectations that he wouldn’t be ready for some time.
Undrafted Zane Lewis—who Douglas claimed late in camp—also gets the incomplete as a practice squad player who hasn’t yet had a chance to step on to a professional football field.
Jabari Zuniga (Round 3): F
The failing grades start with Jabari Zuniga, one of Douglas’s two third-round picks. Dressing in just one game, injuries have derailed the Florida product’s rookie campaign.
It’s a shame, too, considering the Jachai Polite nightmares fans still wake up to with a cold sweat from time to time.
Cameron Clark (Round 4): F
Cameron Clark is another rook who’s tabbed with a failing grade, and much like Zuniga, it purely comes down to injury.
Clark has yet to step on the field. First, it was injuries that kept him out. Recently, he’s been part of the inactive squad.
As much as pundits love Clark’s upside, the kid has to prove himself worthier than veteran Josh Andrews in order to be granted a healthy grade at this point.
Ashtyn Davis (Round 3): D-
From extreme optimism to bitter disappointment—it’s the Ashtyn Davis story. (Well, it’s the Ashtyn Davis story during his rookie campaign, at the very least.)
The Cal product hasn’t exactly started his professional career in stellar fashion. The high school football player who played offense—only to run track in college in order to walk on to the football team—is still feeling his way at the NFL level.
It’s an overall awareness and sense of the game thing for Davis right now. For example, allowing Tyreek Hill to turn him around in a two-deep scenario last Sunday showcases his current ills:
The Tyreek Hill corner-post TD. Ashtyn Davis finds himself turned around. Played it aggressively while not completely feeling his cornerback's depth due to no initial No. 2 read in the flat/curl area. #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/Di0S43TzHP
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) November 5, 2020
Davis is a tremendous athlete and an excellent worker. Douglas can only hope it’s his work ethic and character that gets him over the top moving forward.
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