Figuring out how to use Braxton Berrios will be an interesting task for New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur
Braxton Berrios is an underrated New York Jets success story. Instead of the usual pattern of ex-Jets doing well with the Patriots, Berrios gave Bill Belichick a taste of his own medicine.
The former Patriots sixth-round pick earned first-team All-Pro honors as a returner in 2021. He led the league in kickoff return average at 30.4 yards per return, posted an elite 13.4 yards per punt return (albeit in a small sample size), and took a kickoff 102 yards to the house to help the Jets knock off the Jaguars.
103 YARDS TO THE HOUSE!@nyjets | @HNYNUT_BERRIOS pic.twitter.com/yJHrkMXtFM
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) December 27, 2021
Berrios also contributed to the offense after injuries and ineffectiveness held the other Jets receivers back. He had 46 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Nearly half of his catches (46%) went for first downs. This is impressive considering that his average depth of target was only 5.1 yards. He was able to move the chains so effectively thanks to his average of 5.6 yards-after-catch per reception, which ranked 16th out of 101 qualified wide receivers.
Securing 46 of his 65 targets, Berrios posted a 70.8% catch rate and dropped just one pass all year. While these rates are somewhat expected at such shallow depths of target, it’s more than other Jets’ receivers can say.
Berrios added seven carries for 40 yards and two rushing TDs last season, making him at least a marginal threat to run from the receiving position.
In my opinion, this is one of Berrios’s most underutilized abilities. His 4.44 time in the 40-yard dash is just the first metric to measure Berrios’s speed. The eye test tells the rest of the story. His kickoff-return TD vs. the Jaguars showcases that speed (he hit 20.99 MPH on the play), as do several other plays he has made in a Jets uniform (including his TD reception from Jamison Crowder vs. Cleveland in 2020).
Braxton Berrios 103-yard kick return touchdown dots!
Max speed: 20.99 MPH, per @NextGenStats. pic.twitter.com/VNtGEeBzKJ
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 26, 2021
Reverse pass for the New York Jets touchdown. Jamison Crowder to Braxton Berrios makes it a 7-3 game to start the second quarter. #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/11YGp1sI46
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) December 27, 2020
The Jets may have used Berrios somewhat in the jet sweep role, but 2022 is the time to fully embrace it. With Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, and Garrett Wilson ahead of Berrios on the depth chart, there is no limit to the creativity that Mike LaFleur can use to maximize Berrios’s speed and shiftiness. He is the ideal kick and punt returner, but he’s also a key cog in the Jets’ offense on all levels.
The Patriots have a history of taking undersized, speedy, shifty receivers and turning them into stars. This is one they let get away. Now it’s up to LaFleur to carve out a unique role for Berrios to thrive.
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Excellent article highlighting Berrios’ talent and potential. You did a great job detailing his speed and how he was used last year and how he could be used in the same ways again this season. LaFleur should definitely find creative ways to use Berrios if for no other reasons than he has such great chemistry with Zach and always seems to make something happen when he is on the field. Snaps may be hard to come by due to Moore, Wilson, and Davis, and Mims may force (hopefully) his way into the conversation as well. Even when he’s on the field, the Jets also have at least two, if not 3 very good TEs that they need to utilize as receivers and not just as blockers. With the addition of Breece Hall, the Jets now have two RBs who can tote the rock and who are excellent receivers, and they want to run the ball more this season.
I loved the gadget play with Crowder in 2020. I hope that LaFleur will design a number of gadget plays if he hasn’t already. They’re fun for the players and the fans, and help keep the team loose. Sweeps and screens are two sure ways that Berrios’ talents could be utilized, but I’d like to see the Jets run more slants. My memory may be faulty, but I don’t recall seeing them run that many slants last year. With Berrios, Moore, and Wilson, the Jets have 3 fast, elusive WRs who should be able to turn slants into big gainers if not TDs. Of course just how creative LaFleur can be is determined by the play of the OL and injuries. If the OL plays at a high level and the Jets can stay mostly injury free on offense, the sky’s the limit.
Thanks again for the great article.
Great point about the chemistry with Zach. It may take time for that same rapport to develop with Garrett Wilson. It is undeniably true that the Jets have an influx of talent at the offensive skill positions, which is why I emphasized Berrios’s role as a gadget player and decoy. It adds yet another dimension to the offense. Having a misdirection threat in addition to stud running backs, receivers, and tight ends will keep defenses guessing.
Yes, the health and play of the offensive line is going to be a key. Douglas got his big uglies for a reason.
Thank you for the comment!
Berrios biggest contribution IMO was the Jet Sweep. The ability of Berrios or Moore to get to the edge sets everything up for this offense. It forces edge rushers to slow a little and honor the sweep, it allows runs up the middle and it gives ZW a few extra tenths of a second. Once MLF started using the Jet sweep the offense flourished and really opened up. We could see the difference in week 17 without Berrios and Carter the Bills defenders could just pin their ears back and come after Zach.
Well said. Berrios keeps the pressure off Wilson at minimum as a decoy. With all the other playmakers on offense, that extra dimension can kick the game into another gear. The misdirection will not allow teams to key on any one part of the field or any one player.
Great reply and excellent point! Good to see you here, my friend!
Exactly.
Berrios is good at the jet-sweep. Too bad they didn’t use him that way against Tampa Bay last year. Could have/should have won that game.
Yes, Zach should’ve handed it to him. Don’t know what he was thinking. They should have won the game right there.
Berrios solid player, not better than our top 6 or 7 playmakers. So he should be able to get on the filed in 4 WR sets and to give guys a blow. But I don’t expect that much from Berrios this season, because of the improved talent.
According to Jets X founder Robby Sabo, who attended minicamp, Berrios is currently the Jets’ #3 receiver, ahead of Garrett Wilson. This is not due to potential but the facts as they stand. Berrios is a good player. He’s a security blanket on third down.
I actually do expect Berrios to have a solid role in the offense. He’s their second-most experienced receiver, shockingly. Also, as I pointed out in the article, his role as a decoy and gadget player on jet sweeps and other misdirection plays can add another dimension to the Jets’ running game.
The fact that Berrios is running at #3 is not an indication of anything tbh, Sauce has mostly run with the two’s do we expect Hall to start at CB?
I am projecting for once the season starts and certainly as it progresses Wilson will almost certainly get those reps. Berrios is a nice player but is an average WR at best with very little ability against man coverage throughout his career. I believe he will get some Jet sweeps and maybe some gadget plays, but as I stated I don’t expect him to have a huge role.
Robby was not referring to Berrios’s role just in minicamp, but also on the depth chart as it stands at the moment. Garrett Wilson will undoubtedly take over as the #3 receiver, but Berrios has had success in the slot. He may lose playing time as the season moves on (or earlier if Wilson proves himself), but expect at least some more time initially. Later on, yes, he will bring that value as a gadget threat, and also as someone who can step into a bigger role if an injury hits.
I don’t think we see this one the same. I will keep this discussion on the backburner and we can revisit once the season starts.
If you are correct, it would mean that Garrett Wilson has progressed very nicely and compelled the Jets to give him more playing time. That would be great news for NY.