Saturday’s training camp practice for the New York Jets seemed to be a success all around.
Fans were present in Florham Park for the first time this summer, Jets legends were in attendance, and the team’s offense reportedly had a field day, as Geno Smith didn’t throw an incompletion, going 11 for 11 with three touchdowns in 11-on-11 and 4 for 4 with a touchdown in 7-on-7.
According to those on scene, including Jets X-Factor’s Robby Sabo, one of those touchdowns was a 25+ yard shot to rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
Speaking to the media following Saturday’s practice, Sadiq spoke about the impact of the “little subtle things” Smith does to elevate the game.
“When I’m watching film on my own, I can tell the little subtle things that he does that are pro, best of the best mentality,” he said. “Just build that trust, keep going on that, and him being able to count on me and count on the guys in the room.”
Sadiq’s words are a perfect example of how advantageous it is for a young pass catcher to work with a seasoned pocket passer in Smith.
Last year, the Jets didn’t have that same plus with Justin Fields, who was far from seasoned as a passer.
Smith, on the other hand, has proven at his peak that he is one of the league’s most accurate pocket passers.
Similar to David Bailey’s breakout performance on Thursday, seeing young players make plays during training camp isn’t a reliable predictor of their future, but it is far better than seeing the opposite.
Most importantly, it’s good to see that Sadiq is fully healthy and back to himself for training camp, after missing OTAs and minicamp due to a hernia.
