Alijah Vera-Tucker will line up in a new spot for the New York Jets
Speaking to the media on Monday, March 28, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh announced some major news regarding his plans for the team’s starting offensive line.
Saleh says that second-year guard Alijah Vera-Tucker – who started at left guard as a rookie – will move over to the right guard position. Newly-signed Laken Tomlinson will take Vera-Tucker’s place at the left guard position.
The plan for the Jets: Laken Tomlinson at LG and Alijah Vera-Tucker at RG. pic.twitter.com/EtQgGSYr2q
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) March 28, 2022
“AVT has shown flexibility in college; he played tackle, he played guard; he’s got tremendous flexibility and he’s still a young pup,” Saleh said. “There’s a lot of things that he can learn.”
On Tomlinson, Saleh said, “Laken has had a lot of success at left guard in this league, he was a Pro Bowler last year, and it’s something that we just don’t want to mess with for him,” Saleh said. “AVT will be fine. He’s still young, there’s still things that he’s still learning, him doing it on the right side, he’s very, very athletic, he’ll be able to pick it up pretty quick.”
Vera-Tucker last played right guard as a redshirt freshman with the USC Trojans in the 2018 season. Serving as a backup, Vera-Tucker played 141 offensive snaps at right guard over nine games (none of them being starts). He played, well giving up only one pressure in pass protection and committing no penalties. Vera-Tucker was just 19 years old at the time.
Tomlinson, 30, has played the overwhelming majority of his NFL snaps at left guard. Save for one start at right guard for the Detroit Lions in his second season (2016), Tomlinson played left guard in every one of his other 111 career appearances.
