The New York Jets’ preseason game against the Carolina Panthers was the biggest snoozer we’ve seen in a long time. It’s hard to pick players who stood out because, well, no one really did. But it was a critical game for the players on the Jets’ roster fringes who are fighting for a spot either on the Jets’ 53-man roster, some other team’s roster, or at least on a practice squad.
Consider this: players on an NFL practice squad make a minimum of $12,500 per week. That goes up to $16,800 with at least two accrued seasons and a maximum of $21,300. If a player manages to stay on a practice squad for the whole season, they’ll make between $285,600 and $362,100 for a year. While that is a chump change for the NFL, active players in the United Football League (UFL) earn $5,500 per week with a weekly housing stipend of $400.
Do you think this preseason means something to players like Adrian Martinez and Kohl Levao?
Therefore, it’s worth looking through which fringe players helped or hurt their cases for the Jets’ roster or the practice squad.
Helped
Braiden McGregor
Braiden McGregor is listed at 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds on the Jets’ website. At that size, McGregor is looking to take a spot as a big edge defender who can stop the run. His best shot at making the roster is overtaking Micheal Clemons’ spot or proving he’s worth the fifth edge spot with great run defense and decent pass-rushing.
McGregor made a play or two against Washington but didn’t stand out. He showed more oomph against Carolina, recording three pressures on 11 pass rush snaps (27.3%) and a whopping 40% pass rush win rate. That was enough for Pro Football Focus’ top pass-rushing grade (90.4) of the week among 106 edge defenders with at least 10 pass-rush snaps.
That being said, McGregor’s missed tackle was his lone recorded statistic on 12 run defense snaps, and he also had another bad play, resulting in a 44.8 PFF run defense grade.
McGregor wears No. 91 and lines up on the edge.
Here is McGregor’s missed tackle.
McGregor took an inside stem, and the tackle overset. This allowed McGregor to double-swipe the tackle’s hands and come around the edge for a near-sack. The dive and miss wasn’t good, but the pressure was.
McGregor tried to stem outside and run his feet to affect the tackle, but it didn’t work. He therefore took the open chest and drove the tackle back toward the quarterback.
McGregor went hard after the quarterback and left a wide-open edge, resulting in a 22-yard gain. This is not the kind of film a run-defending player trying to make a team wants to put on film.
Brandon Codrington
Brandon Codrington’s only realistic shot of making the Jets’ roster is as a kick and punt returner. Robert Saleh outright said that’s why the Jets brought him in. He would be at best seventh on the Jets’ depth chart at cornerback.
Codrington outdid Isaiah Davis (2 returns, 14 yards) as a punt returner and Malachi Corley (1 return, 20 yards) as a kick returner. The problem is that both of those players have their roster spots locked up, which means he’s at a significant disadvantage. Xavier Gipson, the other return option, is also guaranteed a roster spot after sitting out the second preseason game. Codrington is fourth on the depth chart at returner and has no other path forward to the roster.
Still, Codrington is making his case to join someone’s 53-man roster as a returner.
Pretty much everyone executed their blocking assignment at the beginning of this play besides Kendall Sheffield (No. 27). Therefore, as Codrington neared his blocking, he was forced to cut back to the left. Thanks to a great pin by Anthony Firkser (No. 48), there was a massive lane for Codrington to run through. Lance McCutcheon (No. 85) helped Codrington gain a few extra yards, but if he could have held his block a beat longer, Codrington may have been able to score.
It looks like this was a preset play to create a cutback lane to the left, rather like a gap play in the run game with a down block. This is why teams like the Jets may prefer a running back as one of the returners. Still, Codrington gets the credit for the 63-yard return.
It looks like Codrington’s initial plan on this play was to try to get around the first defender (No. 27) and find a lane outside. However, that fell apart pretty quickly when another Panthers defender came screaming in right behind. Still, Codrington stuck his foot in the ground to make No. 27 miss, wove his way toward a little more daylight, broke another tackle from No. 53, and finished with a 15-yard return.
You can see why Codrington was such a dominant punt returner in college. It’s not just following his blocking; he’s very shifty in his own right and can make defenders miss. Unlike Xavier Gipson, who scored on the one punt return in Week 1 last year with excellent blocking, Codrington looks like a punt returner who can often gain more yards than are readily available.
Just like rush yards over expected for a running back, adding return yards over expected makes a returner quite valuable.
It looks like Codrington might have an issue with slipping, as he did so on his lone kick return attempt against Washington and on both punt returns against the Panthers. This was quite a good punt from Johnny Hekker, pinning Codrington toward the right sideline.
Anthony Hines (Jets No. 45) very clearly got away with an illegal block in the back to eliminate the first would-be tackler against Codrington. Codrington broke the second defender’s tackle attempt by ducking his shoulder to give the defender less surface area to tackle. That shifted his momentum away from the next tackler and toward his left, where he found a seam.
Perhaps a faster returner would have been able to outrun the punter outright. Others may have tried to fake out the punter rather than just running around him. As it is, Codrington shifted his momentum enough to run past Hekker, and he had a clear lane to score if his blocking held up. Unfortunately, Codrington pinned himself too close to the sideline and wasn’t able to stay in bounds.
Still, Codrington’s shiftiness as a returner is evident. Don’t be surprised if he’s on another team’s roster come Week 1.
Israel Abanikanda
I still think Israel Abanikanda’s chances of making the roster are very slim, but he helped his case at least a little bit. Abanikanda had 6 carries for 29 yards (4.8 yards per carry), 3.67 yards after contact per attempt, and 3 missed tackles forced.
The problem for him was that four of his six carries were on zone plays, again demonstrating that he fits a zone scheme better than a gap one. Additionally, Abanikanda did not have any rush yards over expected (RYOE), meaning he simply took what the offensive line blocked up for him.
The Jets blocked up this play well, leading to a huge hole for Abanikanda. Look at that wall formed by Austin Deculus (No. 70) and Lincoln Sefcik (No. 47), as well as a decent job from Brandon Smith (No. 87).
Technically, No. 33 on the Panthers missed a tackle attempt, but it looks like Abanikanda was already past him. Abanikanda also ran through tackle attempts from No. 46 and No. 35 to gain a few extra yards.
It looks like Abanikanda lightened his leg a bit to make the defender miss, then ran through another defender’s contact for several extra yards. This is the first time we’ve seen Abanikanda show any ability to gain yards after contact.
Nevertheless, the Abanikanda we’ve known until now surfaced, as he ran into his own blocker on a gap play. There might not have been much space available regardless, but his spatial awareness is terrible.
Max Mitchell
Max Mitchell played deep into the game with the Jets’ third-stringers, which usually isn’t a great sign. However, considering that he and Carter Warren have alternated the second-team tackle reps in practice and that Mitchell started at right tackle against Washington, it seems pretty evident that the Jets plan to carry both players on the active roster.
After posting a solid outing against Washington, Mitchell upped his play a notch against Carolina on 15 total snaps. He did not allow any pressures and had a 78.0 PFF run-blocking grade. That outdid Warren, who played far more snaps (29), and though he did not allow any pressures, he took a holding penalty and had a 62.9 run-blocking grade.
Mitchell is working to make his case to be the Jets’ second backup tackle behind Olu Fashanu.
Mitchell wears No. 61 and is lined up at left tackle.
Mitchell started the play by reaching the four-technique and passing him off to the guard, then climbed to the second level to get significant movement on the Panthers’ No. 57.
In theory, you might not want Mitchell to commit inside quite as much as he did. However, he took the extra beat to throw No. 43 inside toward his guard before engaging with No. 75. He picked it up cleanly.
Austin Seibert
The Jets are clearly auditioning Austin Seibert for other teams. He delivered, going 4-for-4 on field goals including a 52-yarder. He has a chance of making someone else’s 53-man roster. If not, the Jets will have the opportunity to sign him as a backup should something happen to Greg Zuerlein, as they did in Week 2 last year.
Hurt
Andrew Peasley & Adrian Martinez
Many Jets fans were excited by the showings from Andrew Peasley and Adrian Martinez against the Commanders. Against Carolina, they reminded everyone why they were undrafted free agents.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Peasley had a -10.3% completion percentage over expected (CPOE), while Martinez was at -17.7%. Those marks ranked 39th and 46th, respectively, out of 46 quarterbacks who attempted at least 10 passes to this point in Week 2 of the preseason. Peasley had the worst success rate of those quarterbacks (18.8%), while Martinez ranked 37th (37.8%).
Peasley completed 7 of 11 passes for just 33 yards, a paltry 3.0 yards per attempt. He overthrew what should have been a touchdown to Zack Kuntz.
These plays are pretty self-explanatory.
Peasley threw several more inaccurate passes but was bailed out by his receivers, specifically Braelon Allen (twice) and Malachi Corley.
Martinez’s accuracy was a major issue all day, completing just 7 of 17 passes for 67 yards (3.9 YPA). He threw an interception several yards over his receiver’s head and almost tossed another one in the end zone.
The Jets may keep one of these quarterbacks on the practice squad, which is all they’re competing for. According to Robby Sabo, Martinez acclimated to the Jets’ training camp practices much more quickly than Peasley. It’s hard to tell who may have an advantage, but the Jets are unlikely to keep both.
Kohl Levao
Kohl Levao seemingly had one of the best shots at the Jets’ final interior offensive line spot. Wes Schweitzer is their only backup, and it seems like the Jets are letting their practice squad-level players compete for the role. Levao did not inspire any confidence in this game, though.
Officially, he was charged with just one pressure on 35 pass rush snaps, but much of that came from luck rather than skill (as the ball was released early, a different blocker helped him, the defender ran into his own man, etc.)
Levao wears No. 60 and is lined up at left guard.
Surprisingly, PFF gave him an 80.5 run-blocking grade, but that did not match his film. Here are just a few examples. It’s not that he had no good plays, but he also had many bad ones.
Jason Brownlee
Jets fans who were excited by Jason Brownlee’s one-handed catch in training camp last year saw why he’s a fringe roster player in the game against Carolina. This is what he largely showed in last year’s preseason, as well. Brownlee (No. 16) caught one of four targets for six yards and was charged with one drop. However, he had at least one other catchable target that he failed to bring in.
I labeled one play as a drop and the other as a non-catch on a contested target, but they look interchangeable to me. Both are plays where the defender may or may not have gotten his hand on the ball but Brownlee should have caught it regardless. For a player whose sole attribute is supposedly contested catches, showing this on film is a very bad sign.
Honestly, Brandon Smith has looked better than Brownlee so far in the preseason. Both players are the same age (25), and if not for the fact that Smith came from the UFL and Brownlee made the Jets’ roster last season, we’d likely be discussing Smith as the fringe roster candidate. Watch Smith (No. 87) in a similar situation.
Yes, this is a better throw than the first one Brownlee had to deal with. Yes, Smith’s catching technique was horrible, as he clapped the ball into his chest. Still, he ultimately brought in the contested ball while Brownlee didn’t.
Smith is now 3-for-3 in contested-catch situations this preseason, while Brownlee is 0-for-2. Incidentally, this is a pattern for Brownlee: he was 0-for-2 on contested catches in the 2023 regular season and 1-for-6 in last year’s preseason. (To be fair, Smith was 0-for-2 on contested catches in last year’s preseason, too.)
Small sample size or not, the point is that Brownlee has made no case for the Jets’ roster in the one area he was supposed to be good at.
Eric Watts
If McGregor showed out, his fellow UDFA, Eric Watts, certainly did not. He posted just one pressure on 29 pass rush snaps and posted a 42.4 PFF run defense grade. He had a really bad missed tackle that led to a touchdown and not much else.
Watts wears No. 58 and lines up as an edge defender.
Zack Kuntz
You’d think Zack Kuntz (No. 81) would dominate third-stringers with his perfect RAS. Instead, he didn’t show much as a blocker and dropped a pass. (Though PFF didn’t charge him with one, an NFL player must be ready and catch this ball.)
Leonard Taylor
Taylor showed some nice pass-rushing chops against Washington and demonstrated at least some play-making ability in the run game. That did not continue against Carolina.
Taylor posted one pressure on 12 pass-rush snaps (8.3% rate), and his 10% pass rush win rate tied for 26th out of 104 interior defensive linemen with at least 10 pass rush snaps. However, he didn’t really show out against deep backups.
In the run game, though, Taylor’s deficiencies stood out clearly. Surprisingly, PFF gave him a slightly better grade than last week (41.7), but his play certainly warranted that grade. Other than one run stuff, the rest of his tape was quite ugly.
To make the Jets’ roster, Taylor likely must stand out as a pass rusher and show at least some ability to stop the run. He did neither in this game.
Taylor wears No. 96 and is lined up at defensive tackle.
I think this is the play where PFF gave him the pressure, but it’s not a particularly impressive one.
Taylor is too explosive for a backup guard to reach block him. He penetrated the gap and stuffed the run.
I don’t know whether there was a miscommunication between Taylor and Jalyn Holmes about who was going to rush which gap or if it was supposed to be a TT (tackle-tackle) stunt. Either way, they bumped into each other, leaving Taylor off balance and allowing the guard to pancake him.
This double-team displaces Taylor completely out of the play, leaving a big cushion if Holmes hadn’t knifed inside and dominated the tight end.
You can’t have your defensive tackle pinned so far outside by a duo double-team that a massive gap opens up through the middle. This is where the phrase “like a hot knife through butter” comes from in the running game. (It wasn’t just him, as Bruce Hector was pinned on the other side, too.)
Once again, a combo block totally eliminated Taylor from the play.
