Stacking up the New York Jets’ roster from bottom to top
No time to waste on the lede; we have 90 New York Jets players to rank.
I ranked players based on my projection of their performance level in 2024 relative to their position. In other words, this is about predicted ability, not impact (i.e. a player is not punished for playing a lesser-value position or having a smaller role). I did take injuries and durability into account.
90. OT Willie Tyler (UDFA)
Played at three schools in three years and was not good at Louisville in 2023 (7 sacks allowed, poor run blocking grade). Has a 3.26 Relative Athletic Score (RAS).
89. CB Al Blades Jr. (UDFA)
Six years in college, still wasn’t dominant at Duke in 2023 (12 missed tackles, 65.2 PFF coverage grade), and had a mediocre 7.00 RAS. Will be 25 this year. Listed as a safety by the Jets.
88. WR Tyler Harrell (UDFA)
Played at three different schools over five years and finished career with only 26 receptions, but offers 4.29 speed.
87. CB Myles Jones (UDFA)
Seven-year college player who will be 26 this year. Mostly struggled in college but dominated in four games at Duke this past season after transfering (44.4 passer rating).
86. TE Lincoln Sefcik (UDFA)
Great Value Zack Kuntz? Has a 9.60 RAS but only posted a 17/165/1 line at South Alabama last year.
85. TE Kevin Foelsch (UDFA)
Posted a 32/318/7 line at Division II New Haven. Only a 6.45 RAS.
84. WR Hamze El-Zayat (UDFA)
Mediocre production at Eastern Michigan after transferring from Fordham (27/360/2 in 13 games). Mediocre 5.44 RAS. Had 22 total returns across kick and punt last year (one 96-yard kickoff return TD).
83. WR Marcus Riley (UDFA)
Decent production at Florida A&M (34/584/5), averaged 31.1 yards per kickoff return with a 96-yard TD.
82. CB Brandon Codrington (UDFA)
Undersized (5’9) corner with poor college production (11 TD/0 INT) but is a highly experienced returner. 69 career kickoff returns and 61 career punt returns. In 2023, averaged 19.6 yds/punt return with 2 TDs.
81. LB Jackson Sirmon (UDFA)
Six-year college player who was dominating as a tackler at Cal over six games this past season (4.2% missed tackle rate) before a season-ending biceps injury. Already 24 years old.
80. S Jarius Monroe (UDFA)
Five-year college player. Big 6’0/200lb cornerback who dominated over two years at Tulane after transferring from FCS Nicholls, but has an abysmal 2.94 RAS (4.64 forty). Listed as a safety with the Jets.
79. QB Andrew Peasley (UDFA)
Six-year college player who found success at Wyoming after four years with Utah State. In 2023, went 9-3 as a starter with 20 passing touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns, and five interceptions. A little ndersized at a shade under 6’2 and 216 pounds, but an elite athlete (9.17 RAS), highlighted by 126-inch broad jump, 37-inch vertical jump, and 4.65 forty. Basically, he’s the next Josh Allen.
78. CB Shemar Bartholomew (UDFA)
Big 6’1/200 cornerback from Georgia Southern with six college seasons. Capitalized on his age advantage with breakout 2023 season, especially against the run (87.8 PFF run defense grade). Offers an 8.57 RAS powered by a 4.44 forty at his size.
77. OT Obinna Eze
A 2022 undrafted free agent who has spent time with the Lions and Steelers practice squads. Signed to the Jets’ practice squad last December before signing a reserve/future contract with the team in January.
76. WR Lance McCutcheon
Another 2022 undrafted free agent. Made the Rams’ 53-man roster as a rookie and played 10 games, mostly contributing on special teams. Spent the 2023 season on the Texans and Jets practice squads. Signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets in January.
75. OT Austin Decelus
Sixth-round pick of the Texans in 2022 out of LSU. Played 12 games (1 start) over the past two seasons. The Jets claimed him off waivers last November.
74. G Brady Latham (UDFA)
Four-year starting left guard at Arkansas with an 8.77 RAS. Run blocking grades were consistently poor for an NFL prospect and he had eight penalties last year, but his pass blocking numbers were solid.
73. LB Jimmy Ciarlo (UDFA)
Army linebacker who offers an 8.82 RAS (powered by 34 bench press reps) with a modern linebacker build at 6’2/225. All-around player in 2023, allowing just one TD in coverage, missing just six tackles, and posting three sacks as a blitzer. Feels like the type of guy that Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich can mold.
72. DE Braiden McGregor (UDFA)
267-pound defensive end who was decent in a limited role for Michigan last year, posting 28 pressures, five sacks, and three batted passes on 239 pass-rush snaps. Mostly played on the edge but occasionally kicked inside, so he might be able to offer the inside/outside versatility New York lost in John Franklin-Myers.
71. DE Eric Watts (UDFA)
Four-year contributor at Connecticut with 2,249 career snaps. A 274-pound defensive end who had a breakout season against the run in 2023 but was consistently mediocre as a pass rusher throughout his career. Has an 8.31 RAS powered by a 4.67 forty.
70. RB Xazavian Valladay
A 2023 UDFA who spent time with the Texans and Steelers practice squads before signing with the Jets practice squad in August. Played one game, logging 12 special teams snaps in the season finale.
69. IOL Kohl Levao
An undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Hawaii. Landed in the Indoor Football League before moving to the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL/UFL. In 2024, he was named to the All-UFL team at guard. Didn’t allow any sacks over two years in San Antonio. The Jets signed him in June.
68. LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
College slot corner who moved to linebacker after signing with the 49ers as a UDFA in 2022. Highly athletic; ran a 4.51 forty at 212 pounds. Signed with the Jets’ practice squad in August 2023 after being waived as part of San Francisco’s final roster cuts. He wound up playing in two games for the Jets, logging 43 special teams snaps.
67. DT Bruce Hector
A 29-year-old defensive tackle who played two games for the Jets in 2023, collecting four tackles.
66. DT Jalyn Holmes
The 28-year-old defensive tackle played in five games for the Jets last year, posting one sack and five tackles.
65. TE Zack Kuntz
Despite being drafted by the team, Kuntz didn’t appear in a game until the Jets’ season finale, and even then, he still only played four special teams snaps, fewer than players like Valladay and McCrary-Ball. This year, Kenny Yeboah generated far more buzz in OTAs and minicamp. It doesn’t seem like he’s shown much progress after falling to the seventh round despite a 10.00 RAS, which signaled how incredibly raw he was as a football player.
64. IOL Chris Glaser
A 2022 undrafted free agent. Played in five games for the Jets in 2023, starting one at right guard.
63. IOL Jake Hanson
Hanson was a sixth-round pick of the Packers in 2020, playing 11 games for Green Bay (1 start). He joined the Jets in 2023 and played seven games, starting four at right guard.
62. IOL Xavier Newman
Newman played 244 snaps for the Jets in 2023, mostly at right guard, but he also had to step in at center against the Giants. He deserves credit for helping the Jets execute a hurry-up spike at the end of the fourth quarter to set up a game-tying field goal.
61. S Jaylen Key
As the last pick of the draft, my expectations aren’t high for Key. There are five safeties on the team with higher stock going into training camp.
60. WR Malik Taylor
Got on the field for three games in 2023, catching two passes for 13 yards while drawing the game-winning pass interference call against the Giants. Also played 33 special teams snaps.
59. DT Leonard Taylor (UDFA)
Despite being an undrafted rookie, Taylor’s background is intriguing enough for me to rank him over many of the veteran bubble players on the roster. He has perhaps the best shot to make the team among the UDFA class.
Taylor is extremely talented; he was the No. 4 overall recruit in the nation in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports. He was getting first-round buzz entering 2023 after posting 10.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks in 12 games as a sophomore while playing a limited role.
But Taylor underachieved big time in 2023 with only 1.0 sack and 3.5 TFLs in 10 games. He was still ranked 128th overall on the Mock Draft Database consensus big board entering the 2024 draft, but his 2023 performance was apparently enough to drop him out of the draft entirely. Still 22 years old after the required minimum of three college seasons, it might have served him better to stay another year and try to get his stock back up.
Despite the underwhelming numbers on the surface, Taylor had a 14.7% pass rush win rate in 2023, which was 10th-best out of 265 qualified Power 5 DTs.
With the Jets’ DT depth chart behind Quinnen Williams looking unimpressive, I wouldn’t be shocked if Taylor stole a roster spot.
58. QB Jordan Travis
Travis’ solid short-game accuracy and good decision-making could allow him to be a decent QB3 for a rookie if disaster strikes. He’s already 24 years old with four years of starting experience in the ACC.
57. S Jarrick Bernard-Converse
The Jets’ 2023 sixth-round pick will have plenty of competition to make the roster, as Isaiah Oliver has converted to safety while seventh-round pick Jaylen Key is in the mix.
56. CB Qwan’tez Stiggers
While talented, Stiggers is a major work in progress. I don’t see him contributing much as a rookie.
55. RB Israel Abanikanda
Abanikanda didn’t show much as a rookie and watched the team draft two running backs this year. Even their veteran pickup who hasn’t played since 2020, Tarik Cohen, seemed to generate more buzz in OTAs and minicamp.
54. K Austin Seibert
Seibert won’t make the Jets’ roster, but he’s a decent NFL kicker, offering a career field goal percentage of 80.4%. If some team is desperate for a kicker at the end of the preseason, perhaps the Jets can nab a conditional seventh-round pick. At worst, he’s a decent backup to stash on the practice squad.
53. LB Zaire Barnes
The athletic linebacker played in four games as a special teamer but didn’t log any defensive snaps. He’ll be looking to flash some defensive potential this summer.
52. LB Samuel Eguavoen
Eguavoen was third on the Jets with 303 special teams snaps, although he didn’t stand out, logging only four tackles against three missed tackles.
51. DT Tanzel Smart
Smart consistently sticks around thanks to his flashes in practice and the preseason, but he hasn’t shown enough in the regular season to become a mainstay on the active roster.
50. OT Max Mitchell
Mitchell has been highly unimpressive when on the field thus far, and he didn’t show any progress in 2023 compared to 2022.
49. EDGE Takk McKinley
McKinley wasn’t on a roster in 2023, and in 2022, he had zero pressures in four games. He hasn’t recorded a pressure or sack since 2021. Expectations should be held in check, but the former first-round pick is still only 28 years old.
48. TE Kenny Yeboah
Yeboah quietly got involved in the offense late last season and threw some nice blocks. He’s already generating some buzz this offseason. At this point, I fully expect him to beat out Kuntz for the TE3 spot.
47. WR Jason Brownlee
Brownlee seemed to be highly impressive in practice last year, so the coaches must see some upside in him, but it didn’t translate to game action. In a relatively thin wide receiver room, he’ll have every opportunity to earn reps once again in 2024.
46. FB Nick Bawden
As far as fullbacks go, Bawden is fairly run-of-the-mill. It will be interesting to see if the Jets value this position enough to use a roster spot on him.
45. OT Carter Warren
I think Warren has intriguing upside thanks to his physical traits (mainly his arm length), but he is a major work in progress after what he showed in 2023.
44. LB Chazz Surratt
Surratt ranked fifth on the Jets with 284 special teams snaps. He was excellent, making seven tackles with no misses. On defense, he only played nine snaps (one tackle).
43. RB Tarik Cohen
Cohen has not played a regular season game since 2020, and since then, he has suffered an ACL/MCL tear and an Achilles tear. It seems overly optimistic to expect anything of him, but per our own Robby Sabo, Cohen has looked quick in practice and has been involved in the offense. I trust Sabo’s practice evaluations, so if Cohen truly does look fresh, I’m buying into him making the roster over Abanikanda as the RB4. His return experience also gives him an upper hand to win either the kickoff or punt return roles, if not both.
42. CB Brandin Echols
Echols has provided solid depth at cornerback since he moved into a backup role in 2022.
41. DT Leki Fotu
I’m not a big Fotu fan. He gets moved off the spot too easily for his size. I think he provides slightly more explosiveness and pass-rush upside than Al Woods did in this role, but it’s not significant enough to make up for the downgrade on the ground.
40. WR Irvin Charles
Charles burst onto the scene in 2023, establishing himself as one of the Jets’ aces on special teams. He earned a team-high 90.3 special teams grade at PFF, coming on the strength of his seven tackles.
39. WR Allen Lazard
This is the same player who had caught 168 passes for 2,229 yards and 20 touchdowns with Aaron Rodgers from 2019-22, so we can’t put him too low on the list. Still, after playing like one of the worst wide receivers in the NFL last year, Lazard finds himself ranked behind players who are clear-cut backups on this Jets roster.
38. IOL Wes Schweitzer
Schweitzer has started 62 games in the NFL. He’s on the higher end for a backup interior lineman.
37. EDGE Micheal Clemons
Clemons offers a huge frame on the edge that can be devastating against the run, but he wasn’t quite as effective in that phase as he was in his rookie year. He remains a zero in the passing game, so he needs to be excellent against the run to justify playing time, and he wasn’t in 2023.
The Jets asked him to add weight in the 2023 offseason for seemingly no reason, as he never played inside in 2023 anyway. It clearly had an effect on his game; as slow for the position as he already was at a burly 270, he was even more sluggish in 2023. He definitely needs to get his weight back down.
36. WR Xavier Gipson
Gipson has impressive shiftiness but needs to be enormously better with his hands and ball security in 2024 if he wants to make an impact on either offense or special teams. The good news is that he seems to be impressing the Jets so far, even serving as their quasi-WR2 in minicamp with Mike Williams sidelined.
35. LB Jamien Sherwood
Sherwood was impressive in his small role as a sub-package player in 2023. The Jets have done a nice job developing him. You get the sense that he can be trusted to perform decently as a starter if forced into the lineup due to injury.
34. S Ashtyn Davis
Another Jets draft pick who has developed nicely. While it’s likely that Davis still isn’t starting material, he’s found himself a niche where he can be productive.
33. S Isaiah Oliver
Oliver is moving to safety after playing both outside and slot cornerback at various stages throughout his six-year career. With 44 career starts under his belt, he offers valuable depth at any position in the secondary.
32. DT Solomon Thomas
Thomas remains a sieve against the run, but he at least found a way to get five sacks last year. He still isn’t great at generating consistent pressure, so he’ll have to maintain the sack production to be viewed as a decent DT3 once again in 2024.
31. TE Jeremy Ruckert
Ruckert won’t be blocked by C.J. Uzomah going into this year, giving him a golden opportunity to seize the TE2 role for 17 games.
Ruckert has a high ceiling as a blocker but must be more consistent. I think he’ll show progress in that area this year, establishing himself as a quality blocker in the TE2 role. As a pass catcher, I don’t see a huge role for Ruckert, but I think he will come through when targeted.
30. QB Tyrod Taylor
Based on how he played last year, it’s fair to say that Taylor is still probably somewhere from the 25th to 30th-best quarterback in the NFL. For a backup, that’s tremendous.
29. RB Isaiah Davis
I love the Jets’ two running back selections and think both will look impressive when given chances. Davis’ vision and short-area quickness should allow him to run with a high success rate even if he doesn’t offer home-run speed. Look for him to consistently earn 4-6 yard chunks between the tackles.
28. WR Malachi Corley
Long-term, Corley has the potential to develop a multi-faceted game, but in 2024, I expect his role to remain focused on designed touches, and I think he’ll do a great job with them.
27. RB Braelon Allen
On top of his obvious power as a runner, Allen offers intriguing upside as a receiver and fantastic blocking skills. I see him making an all-around impact as the RB2.
26. DT Javon Kinlaw
Slotted next to double-team-magnet Quinnen Williams, Kinlaw is in a great situation to disprove naysayers like myself. The physical talent is there. Let’s see if he can build on what he did last year in his first fully healthy season.
25. S Tony Adams
I’m not sure I see Tony Adams developing into a great safety, but I think he’ll be a consistent solid starter. I think he’ll cut his missed tackles down a bit compared to 2023, helping him put together a nice year in his second campaign as a starter.
24. OT Olu Fashanu
Fashanu’s smooth athleticism, sharp technique, and dominant college production give him a good chance to immediately perform at the level of a league-average tackle in his rookie season. If he can play at that level across multiple starts in relief of Tyron Smith, it would be a massive win for the Jets.
Down the line, Fashanu has the potential to be much more than average. For his rookie year, though, it’s expected that he will undergo some growing pains. Still, if he starts his career playing like a top-16-ish left tackle, that is a tremendous springboard to start your career. This is the worst he’ll ever be. Building off that start, he would have the potential to develop into a star within the next few years.
23. P Thomas Morstead
Morstead’s 2023 performance may have been slightly overrated since he was on the field so often, but his efficiency was still good. Out of 33 qualifiers, he ranked 10th-best in EPA/punt above expected.
22. S Chuck Clark
Clark’s safe approach to tackling is exactly what the Jets need after they suffered from Jordan Whitehead’s overaggressiveness. Clark will also provide an upgrade in coverage against tight ends. Deep coverage is Clark’s weakness.
21. K Greg Zuerlein
Gregory the Legory made 92.1% of his field goal attempts last season, including 13-of-14 from 40-49 yards and 5-of-6 from 50+ yards. It was a large improvement over his first season with the Jets: 81.1% overall, 9-of-11 from 40-49 yards, and 6-of-11 from 50+ yards.
The 2023 season was a bit of an outlier for Legatron, who fell below an 83% field goal percentage in each of his previous four seasons and has a career rate of 83.1%. It’s likely he will regress a bit from his 2023 output. Still, he has the floor of being approximately average, which is a godsend for the Jets after what they dealt with prior to his arrival.
20. LG John Simpson
One of “my guys” on this Jets team. Simpson’s contract and analytics point to him being an average or slightly below-average left guard – which is still plenty fine for your weakest link on the offensive line – but I think he’s going to be much better than that. Between his analytics and his film, I am enamored with his resume. Don’t be shocked if he’s a top 10 left guard.
19. LS Thomas Hennessy
T-Henny was PFF’s eighth-ranked long snapper in 2023 with a 77.2 grade, his fifth year out of six with a 74.0+ grade. He added five more tackles to his name, bringing him to a position-leading total of 25 since he joined the Jets in 2017.
18. TE Tyler Conklin
An all-around starting tight end who should become more efficient and more active in the red zone with Aaron Rodgers under center.
17. WR Mike Williams
Williams would be a few spots higher if not for concerns about how he’ll look coming off an ACL tear. This is a guy who has 91 receptions for 1,263 yards and six touchdowns over his last 17 games (even though he exited early in three of those games). Even if he declines a little bit, a healthy Williams is easily capable of being a 1,000-yard receiver as the Robin to Garrett Wilson’s Batman.
16. EDGE Will McDonald
I’m all-in on McDonald. He has all of the physical tools you want to see in a bendy sack artist, and he performed at a high level on a per-snap basis last year. With an expanded role and a year of development, I think McDonald will skyrocket this year.
15. LB C.J. Mosley
At this stage of his career, I think Mosley is slightly overrated by some metrics (particularly PFF ranking him as the league’s best linebacker in coverage), but he remains a strong all-around linebacker who also serves as an invaluable leader both on and off the field.
14. RT Morgan Moses
Many rankings and metrics viewed Moses as a top-10 right tackle last year, and the film backs it up. His durability is starting to come into question after a shaky season with a torn pec, but it didn’t affect his play in 2023 despite playing through the injury for most of the year. He’ll only be fresher in 2024 after getting surgery in the offseason.
I have a projected top-10 right tackle as the Jets’ 14th-best player. We’re getting to the part of the list where really good players are ranked shockingly low, painting a picture of how talented this roster truly is.
13. EDGE Jermaine Johnson
Johnson has established himself as a strong two-way edge defender who can play in any situation. His run defense is excellent, and as a pass rusher, he improved greatly in 2023. Does he have another leap in him?
12. CB D.J. Reed
Reed would be the No. 1 cornerback on quite a few NFL teams.
11. C Joe Tippmann
After managing to play like an average starting center within a horrendous situation last year, Tippmann is poised for a massive leap.
10. EDGE Haason Reddick
Reddick is already a proven sack artist and should only look better with the Jets. In New York’s rotation-heavy scheme, his snap count will go down, allowing him to stay fresher throughout the game. He’ll also get to play alongside Quinnen Williams on the right side of the Jets’ defensive line. With these advantages, I expect Reddick to have the most efficient season of his career.
9. RG Alijah Vera-Tucker
Vera-Tucker is an elite run blocker, although he can improve as a pass blocker. With a full healthy season at one position, I think he’ll take the necessary strides to establish himself as a top-five overall right guard.
8. LB Quincy Williams
Williams is in the prime of his career and has improved each season for three consecutive years since joining the Jets. A first-team All-Pro in 2023, there’s no reason to expect anything different in 2024.
7. CB Michael Carter II
Carter II’s contributions aren’t as sexy as any of his friends in the top 10 of this list (or even top 15), but he is one of the most consistent players on the team, consistently shutting down his opponent in slot coverage. He dominates in the shadows, quietly handling his business on play after play.
6. OT Tyron Smith
Without his durability woes, Smith could compete for the top spot on this list. Still, when on the field, he’s a top-3 left tackle at worst, with an argument for the No. 1 spot.
5. QB Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers has the necessary pieces around him to replicate the play style that allowed him to win late-career MVPs just a few years ago. With a good offensive line, a reliable run game, and plenty of YAC weapons, Rodgers will be able to get the ball out quickly and beat defenses using his brain.
4. WR Garrett Wilson
Wilson has already played like a top-5 wide receiver but hasn’t gotten the production to show for it. He will.
3. DT Quinnen Williams
With Aaron Donald out of the picture, the door is open for Williams to establish himself as the NFL’s best DT, and I think he will pull it off.
And this guy is at No. 3. The Jets have a legitimate chance to field the NFL’s best player at three different positions this year.
2. CB Sauce Gardner
Gardner is already the NFL’s clear-cut CB1 after being named a first-team All-Pro in back-to-back seasons. Yet, as he goes into his third season, he still has plenty of room to get better. Gardner can capitalize on more interception opportunities and reduce his missed tackles. With his insane work ethic – this is the man who worked on his golf swing in a lightning storm only a few weeks after picking up a club for the first time – you know he’s doing everything in his power to unlock a whole new level in his game.
1. RB Breece Hall
It is downright unbelievable how significantly Hall has outperformed the expectations of his situation. Despite atrocious blocking, constant stacked boxes due to poor quarterbacking, limited carry totals due to the team constantly trailing, and an ACL tear, Hall is averaging 4.8 yards per carry in his career so far. All other Jets running backs are averaging 3.6 yards per carry since 2022. Essentially, Hall has added more than a full yard per carry above replacement level.
If that doesn’t sound like a massive gap to you, consider this: the 49ers were fourth in the NFL with 4.8 yards per carry in 2023. The Jaguars were 31st with 3.6. That’s how much of an impact Hall has made. The same run game that looks league-worst-caliber with him off the field looks elite with him on it.
On plays with Alijah Vera-Tucker on the field, Hall has averaged an astronomical 6.1 yards per carry. And that’s just by adding AVT. Now, alongside a (hopefully) full season of AVT, add four more upgrades on the offensive line and Aaron Rodgers.
Breece Hall to the moon.
I didn’t even bring up his receiving ability. Hall led RBs in receptions and receiving yards last season. Now, he is joining forces with a quarterback who had a running back ranked second on his team in targets in each of his past four seasons as a starter, including both of his MVP seasons (that RB being Aaron Jones, second on GB in targets each year from 2019-22).
I am fully convinced that when the 2024 season is over, it won’t be possible for anyone to argue that Hall is not the best running back in the NFL.
