New York Jets rookies will have to earn it
Brace yourselves, New York Jets fans: Allen Lazard will be the team’s No. 3 wide receiver once training camp opens.
That isn’t to say Lazard will be the No. 3 by the time Week 1 arrives or that he’ll even be the three once the preseason arrives; it’s just a matter of historical patterns making it a near-certainty he’ll be in the starting lineup in late July.
Remember, not until mid-August two summers ago did Sauce Gardner finally take over sole possession of the starting left cornerback role. Despite his clear dominance and freakish attributes, he and Bryce Hall split first-team reps until the Jets could no longer (in good conscience) allow it to roll that way.
And guess what? That’s exactly how it should be.
While it’s true that I have major concerns over Robert Saleh’s strategic mind, he’s an excellent player development coach. One of the things he correctly nails deals with the newcomers.
Saleh always forces the rookies to earn their spot on the roster—no matter the incoming hoopla.
So, don’t expect third-round fresh face Malachi Corley to start on day No. 1. He, like everybody else, will be forced to earn the job.
Usually, this would also apply to a first-round offensive tackle, but that’s hardly the concern with Olu Fashanu this summer. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft enters OTAs as the team’s clear No. 3 tackle- perhaps even the No. 4 (behind Carter Warren).
As far as the entirety of the New York Jets depth chart is concerned, here’s what it currently looks like pre-OTAs:
| Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | G.Smith | B.Zappe | B.Cook | |
| RB | B.Hall | B.Allen | I.Davis | K.Nwangwu |
| FB | A.Beck | J.Ruckert | ||
| WR1 | G.Wilson | A.Smith | J.Pritchett | |
| WR2 | A.Mitchell | Q.Skinner | M.Dalena | |
| WR3 | I.Williams | I.Charles | ||
| TE | M.Taylor | J.Ruckert | J.Woods | |
| LT | O.Fashanu | M.Mitchell | C.Okorafor | |
| LG | D.Parham | X.Newman | K.Levao | |
| C | J.Myers | J.Tippmann | G.Hartwig | |
| RG | J.Tippmann | M.Hayes | L.Fornadel | |
| RT | A.Membou | M.Mitchell | C.Okorafor | |
| NT(0T) | T.Sweat | H.Phillips | M.Smith | |
| ID(3T) | H.Phillips | J.Briggs | P.Page | J.Heflin |
| ID(5T) | D.Onyemata | J.Briggs | E.Watts | |
| ED(SAM) | J.Ossai | B.McGregor | T.Baron | O.Mathis |
| ED(JACK) | K.Enagbare | W.McDonald | K.Jonathan | P.Ekeji |
| LB(MIKE) | D.Davis | K.Mauigoa | ||
| LB(WILL) | J.Sherwood | M.Walker | K.King | |
| CB1 | B.Stephens | N.Wright | T.Brown | |
| CB2 | A.Thomas | Q.Stiggers | ||
| SCB | J.Brownlee | J.Clark | S.Womack | |
| FS | A.Cisco | M.Moore | D.Clark | C.Smith |
| SS | M.Fitzpatrick | D.Belton | J.Monroe | K.Smith |
| ID(SUB) | J.Briggs | D.Onyemata | E.Watts | |
| ED(SUB) | W.McDonald | J.Ossai | T.Baron | B.McGregor |
| LB(SUB) | D.Davis | J.Sherwood | ||
| K(ST) | C.York | L.Krieg | ||
| P(ST) | A.McNamara | |||
| LS(ST) | T.Hennessy | |||
| COV(ST) | D.Belton | N.Wright | I.Charles | Q.Stiggers |
| LB(ST) | M.Walker | K.Mauigoa | ||
| KR(ST) | K.Nwangwu | I.Williams | I.Davis | |
| PR(ST) | I.Williams | J.Pritchett |
Check out Jets X-Factor’s roster and depth chart page for more information.
