Reporting live from New York Jets HQ in Florham Park, NJ—New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields may not have seen the field Friday morning, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to talk about in Florham Park.

Fields attended practice and stretched with the team, but he was left out of team and position drills. Head coach Aaron Glenn announced that the starting quarterback would be “day-to-day” with his toe injury.

Without their starting quarterback, the Jets opened camp for the first time this season with fans in attendance.

Let’s get to some of the bigger takeaways now.

Takeaways from Jets camp

It’s important to remember that while we can confidently talk about some of the bigger takeaways from Friday’s practice, pads still have not come on yet. That is a clear barometer that could alter how certain players look.

That being said, there’s plenty to talk about from Friday.

Best Battle

Will McDonald, the third-year edge rusher, has looked dominant throughout offseason workouts and the first couple of days of training camp. He has, for the most part, been a matchup nightmare for seventh overall pick Armand Membou.

Until Friday, that is.

Membou more than held his own against McDonald during practice, displaying the footwork and physicality that made him a top-10 pick for New York this draft cycle. McDonald still had some wins, but this was the first time it felt that Membou seemingly got the upper hand.

The two will be competing far more over the next few weeks. The fact that their battle has been a joy to watch is a testament to how hard Membou has worked, and the skill both players possess.

WATCH: All-22 Film Breakdown of Jets OT Armand Membou

Andre Cisco Wins Day

If there was a clear winner on Friday, it was Jets safety Andre Cisco. The former Jacksonville Jaguar picked off two passes and deflected away two more. He was flying around the ball throughout the day, but showed the kind of ball-hawking skills New York hasn’t really had at the safety position in years.

I won’t go as far as to say that was the best practice from a Jets safety in the last few years, but it was pretty damn close.

If Cisco plays like that the whole year, New York’s secondary may be the best it has ever been, and that is saying a lot.

Malachi Corley Bounces Back

The Jets’ former third-round pick made just one catch today, but that one reception may be a building block off of which to improve.

Corley caught a touchdown pass in team drills on a throw behind him over the middle of the field. The Western Kentucky product stood tall, corralled the pass, and got both feet in-bounds in the back of the end zone.

It was a nice play that was desperately needed for a young player fighting for a roster spot and coming off some bad practices.

Brady Cook Surprises

Friday’s practice was the best we have seen from Missouri UDFA quarterback Brady Cook. He threw multiple touchdowns and even looked in command of the offense.

While he continues to compete with Adrian Martinez for the QB3 spot on the roster, the Jets should be thrilled with the rookie’s development.

Rookies shine

We’ve already mentioned the improvements that Membou has shown to this point, but New York’s other draft picks played well today, too. Second-round tight end Mason Taylor caught a diving touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor in 7-on-7 and was open far more times than he was targeted.

Then there’s third-round cornerback Azareye’h Thomas. The Florida State product played well in both man and zone coverage throughout the day, showing that the speed concerns about his game may have been misguided. If he could build off that, Thomas could see the field earlier than expected.

New York must be pleased with how their current rookie class has looked so far.

No Penalties

We still have over a month to go before the regular season kicks off, but Glenn came out with the quote of camp Friday morning. When asked why referees were in attendance throughout camp, the coach acknowledged that the organization was the most penalized team in football last season.

“Undisciplined teams do not win games,” Glenn stated.

He’s right, of course. His comment is just a further indictment of how the Jets were run in the past under their previous regime.

A new sheriff is in town, though, and he won’t take kindly to penalties.