The NFL’s official website published a top-10 roster ranking
With free agency and the NFL draft long in the past, rosters across the league are mostly set. Led by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets boast their most talented team in at least a decade.
But how do people around the league view the Jets’ roster?
On Wednesday, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm released a ranking of the league’s “top 10 most complete teams” for the 2024 season. His list is as follows:
- San Francisco 49ers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Houston Texans
- Green Bay Packers
- Cleveland Browns
- New York Jets
The Jets’ ranking at No. 10 has drawn mixed reactions from fans. Some think the Jets are too low; after all, ESPN analytics writer Mike Clay ranked the Jets’ roster second-best. Others think the Jets shouldn’t have been included at all.
Explaining the ranking, Edholm writes, “There might be questions about head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, but the Jets’ talent is stronger than many are ready to admit. If Rodgers is healthy, this is a playoff contender.”
Do these rankings mean anything?
Edholm published the same article at this time in 2023. His list included three of the four teams who made it to the conference championship (2. Kansas City, 3. San Francisco, 7. Baltimore), while the fourth (Detroit) was listed among four honorable mentions. Four of Edholm’s top 10 teams did not make playoffs in 2023, but three of those teams – the Bengals, Chargers, and Jets – had quarterback injuries.
Ultimately, ranking the Jets is difficult, as nobody knows who Rodgers will be following his injury. The good news is that the Jets’ offense finally has enough talent to the point where they don’t need heroics from Rodgers to win every game. The wide receiver duo of Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams can be one of the best in the NFL, and running back Breece Hall can take over any game. Meanwhile, the Jets’ offensive line is the most talented it’s been since Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson retired.
On the defensive side, the results speak for themselves. The Jets have had one of the best defenses in the NFL the last two seasons. Sauce Gardner has emerged as the premier cornerback in the NFL and forms the best cornerback trio in the NFL with D.J. Reed and Michael Carter II. The linebacker unit is headed by 2023 All-Pro Quincy Williams and five-time All-Pro C.J. Mosley. The defensive line is led by star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Jermaine Johnson took a second-year leap, which earned him a Pro Bowl nod, while the Jets added Haason Reddick, who has 50.5 sacks in the last four seasons.
Time will tell if the Jets can fulfill the potential they have on paper.