One of the New York Jets’ under-the-radar additions this offseason was the signing of veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick.

The pass-catcher was signed in May, after the NFL draft, when the major wave of free agency was already complete.

At the very least, though, Patrick is an experienced veteran who will steady the back end of the WR depth chart while providing an experienced mentor for the Jets’ younger pass catchers.

Defenses had an interesting tendency when facing Patrick last season, one that could help him make a larger impact than expected in 2026.

According to Outside Zone Football Analytics, Patrick’s 8.17-yard “average cushion” finished in the 99th percentile among wide receivers last season.

A player’s average cushion shows the average number of yards there are between him and his nearest defender at the snap.

Essentially, at the line of scrimmage, opposing defenders gave Patrick a lot of room before picking him up.

The good news is that Geno Smith profiles as a solid quarterback to take advantage of that. Over the past few years, particularly last season, the Jets’ quarterbacks have been too incompetent to even do the simple things correctly.

Since taking over as the Seattle Seahawks’ starter in 2022, Smith has been one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. Despite his play dramatically falling off in several key areas during the 2025 season, his completion percentage (67.4%) still finished eighth in the league.

Smith was also the eighth-most efficient quarterback on PFF’s “zero-graded throws”, which essentially means that he was very consistent at executing routine passes.

These skills could bode very well for Patrick, given his 8.17-yard average cushion. If defenses continue to give him that much room at the line of scrimmage, he could carve out a role as a reliable claim-moving target for Smith. The vet QB has his share of concerns, but he won’t miss easy underneath passes to Patrick if defenses are willing to give them up.

Many people have looked at Patrick as someone who could fill the role of recent complementary Jets receivers like Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard—an end-of-the-depth-chart vet WR who provides minimal production but has experience and can run-block effectively.

Given the makeup of the Jets’ depth chart at wide receiver, this role would make sense for Patrick. Two of his competitors in the room are best known for their upside as deep threats, thanks to flashes of excellent separation on film.

Adonai Mitchell has excelled in that area over his two NFL seasons, while Arian Smith’s separation skills popped up on tape during his rookie campaign. The Jets will count on Mitchell and Smith to develop as deep separators who can take the top off the defense, while Patrick can fit in as a reliable weapon underneath.

Overall, Patrick’s numbers, including his six touchdowns over the past two seasons, show he still has something to offer on Sundays.

For the Jets, who still lack a firmly established WR2 behind Garrett Wilson, having a veteran like Patrick step up and perform reliably in his role would be a huge help for the pass-catching unit.

Don’t rule out the possibility of the 32-year-old becoming a steady contributor in the Jets’ passing game this season.