Who are the early standouts from New York Jets training camp?
We’re only three practices into training camp, so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here. There are still plenty of practices and three preseason games left on the schedule before the New York Jets make their final roster-cut decisions.
With all of that being said, it’s worth taking note of which players have gotten the early leg up when it comes to improving their stock in training camp. These five players have been the talk of the town.
WR Denzel Mims
Denzel Mims has cooled off a bit since an explosive debut practice, but he has remained active and seems to be enjoying a much smoother training camp than he did last year. As long as Mims can stay healthy, show the coaches that he has a strong grasp of the scheme, and catch his targets at a consistent level, his roster spot should be safe.
It’s exciting to think about the type of player Mims could be if he puts everything together. However, after a disastrous 2021 season, it’s smart to keep expectations tempered for him. If Mims can just be a useful fourth or fifth receiver who can provide a red-zone presence and be a solid deep threat, the Jets would gladly settle for that.
Mimsy!@MikeWhiteQB ➡️ @Zel5Zelly pic.twitter.com/qbMmkOV6Vv
— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 27, 2022
QB Zach Wilson
While Zach Wilson is not necessarily lighting the world on fire in training camp, he has earned rave reviews in all three practices thus far. Wilson appears to be taking good care of the football and showing a better understanding of the offense. There have also been very few (if any) reports of those wildly inaccurate misfires that plagued him in his rookie season.
.@ZachWilson 🚀 @e_moore03 pic.twitter.com/mBp4DU6UMS
— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 28, 2022
WR Corey Davis
Corey Davis told reporters that he lost 10 to 15 pounds in the offseason, and the Jets’ most experienced wideout certainly does look noticeably slimmer.
look how happy she is to see dad @TheCDavis84 💚🥺 pic.twitter.com/NsGjhH8IHg
— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 29, 2022
Perhaps Davis’s goal is to add more speed and quickness to make himself a better fit for this Jets offense, which is predicated more upon attacking defenses horizontally than vertically.
So far, the slimmed-down Davis has been active. He caught a pair of red-zone touchdowns from Zach Wilson in Friday’s practice.
WALK OFF @TheCDavis84 pic.twitter.com/ClT27cv9Mr
— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 29, 2022
WR Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson is showing some flashes early. There have not seemed to be many rookie growing pains for the 10th overall pick, whose name has been coming up fairly often (for good reasons) during team drills.
smoooooooth@JoeFlacco ➜ @GarrettWilson_V pic.twitter.com/VHV2EQT0QL
— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 28, 2022
RB Breece Hall
Breece Hall is standing out on the practice field, making it clear as day that he possesses the natural talent to be one of those elite difference-makers at the running back position. In team drills, he has been racking up productive runs, and he’s been making noise as a receiver out of the backfield, too.
Breece Hall, looking agile: #Jets pic.twitter.com/tXNet9ac3q
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) July 28, 2022
All five of the players listed here are on the offensive side of the ball, but that’s not to say there are no defensive players standing out. The pass-rushers have been the stars of the show over the past two days, with numerous players stockpiling good reps. It’s just tough to truly evaluate the DL-versus-OL battle before the pads come on.
New York’s first padded practice is on Monday. From there, we can start to watch the line of scrimmage a little more closely.
For now, though, the most notable takeaways have been Wilson’s steady performance and the wide array of skill-position players who are showcasing potential.
