Football is back.

New York Jets training camp is in full swing, while Gang Green will begin their preseason slate on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7 p.m. EST) following two joint practices with the Bucs on Tuesday and Wednesday.

With the preseason beginning this week, the Jets’ 53-man roster should begin to take shape soon.

Here is an assessment of all 90 players on the team’s roster divided into tiers, indicating their status with the organization ahead of the preseason.

Locks (46)

  • QB Geno Smith
  • QB Cade Klubnik
  • RB Breece Hall
  • RB Braelon Allen
  • RB Isaiah Davis
  • RB Kene Nwangwu
  • FB Andrew Beck
  • WR Garrett Wilson
  • WR Adonai Mitchell
  • WR Omar Cooper Jr.
  • WR Tim Patrick
  • WR Isaiah Williams
  • TE Kenyon Sadiq
  • TE Mason Taylor
  • TE Jeremy Ruckert
  • OL Armand Membou
  • OL Josh Myers
  • OL Joe Tippmann
  • OL Dylan Parham
  • OL Olu Fashanu
  • OL Chukwuma Okorafor
  • OL Max Mitchell
  • OL Anez Cooper
  • DL Will McDonald
  • DL David Bailey
  • DL Kingsley Enagbare
  • DL Joseph Ossai
  • DL Harrison Phillips
  • DL David Onyemata
  • DL T’Vondre Sweat
  • DL Jowon Briggs
  • DL Darrell Jackson Jr.
  • LB Jamien Sherwood
  • LB Demario Davis
  • LB Mykal Walker
  • LB Francisco Mauigoa
  • CB D’Angelo Ponds
  • CB Nahshon Wright
  • CB Brandon Stephens
  • CB Azareye’h Thomas
  • CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
  • S Minkah Fitzpatrick
  • S VJ Payne
  • S Malachi Moore
  • S Dane Belton
  • LS Thomas Hennessy
  • P Austin McNamara

In recent years, this is as many locks as we’ve seen.

The Jets’ roster is very secure, largely due to the influx of young talent they drafted this offseason, coupled with a flurry of stable veteran additions.

Given that, there are only a few roster spots up for grabs, making training camp and the preseason more competitive than ever.

Leaning yes (7)

  • WR Arian Smith
  • TE Jelani Woods
  • OL Xavier Newman
  • OL Landon Young
  • CB Qwan’tez Stiggers
  • S Andre Cisco
  • K Jason Sanders

Arian Smith connected with Cade Klubnik for a beautiful deep touchdown during Wednesday’s joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With a fine preseason, Smith should stick around, but I don’t currently have him listed as a “lock” because the Jets are in an interesting situation at pass catcher. The team has five receivers locked in, along with three tight ends.

Gang Green has legitimate resources tied to Kenyon Sadiq and Mason Taylor, who were both selected within the top 50 over the past few years, while Sadiq was drafted at No. 16.

Beyond Taylor and Sadiq, there is Jeremy Ruckert, who signed a two-year extension during the 2025 season following a solid first half of the year. He improved drastically as a run blocker and is expected to play a rotational role doing just that behind Taylor and Sadiq in 2026.

Finally, there is Jelani Woods. At the very least, he has forced his way into the conversation ahead of the preseason. He has been one of the team’s training camp stars, and he also has experience playing under offensive coordinator Frank Reich.

Most teams carry four tight ends, but the Jets are in a unique spot with their commitments to Sadiq and Taylor, while fullback Andrew Beck has also been used as a tight end in his career and caught two TD passes last year, the second most on the team.

Xavier Newman has been erratic as a backup center throughout training camp. While the team’s concerns at IOL are obvious, it feels like if the team was going to add help in that area, they would have done it during Day 3 of the draft or free agency.

Landon Young, signed to a non-guaranteed deal this offseason, is a sixth-year offensive lineman with 12 career starts. He offers plenty of versatility, having started at every position on the line except for center. With depth concerns on the Jets’ offensive line, his versatility could make him a useful piece to fill out the back end of the depth chart.

Qwan’tez Stiggers finds his way here instead of the “lock” category due to his lack of defensive capabilities in a crowded cornerback room. However, the Jets seem to really like him, as he provides value on special teams.

The Jets’ safety room is in a way better spot than it was last year.

With Malachi Moore, Dane Belton, and Andre Cisco competing to start alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cisco could end up being the No. 2 to Fitzpatrick or even the No. 4.

Cisco’s tackling issues are concerning, and it would arguably be preferable to see Moore or Belton play over him, but I believe the Jets will carry four safeties, place seventh-round rookie VJ Payne on short-term injured reserve to begin the year, and roll into the year with Cisco.

Jason Sanders’ resume is much more promising than Cade York’s, making him the favorite in my eyes to win the team’s kicking competition ahead of the preseason.

Fringe (5)

  • QB Bailey Zappe
  • OL Kohl Levao
  • OL Marquis Hayes
  • LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
  • K Cade York

Bailey Zappe is currently battling with Klubnik for the team’s QB2 role. If Klubnik looks lost in the preseason and Zappe is able to hold his own, he could certainly win the role.

However, if their play is near the same level, it appears more likely that the team would roll with the fourth-round rookie and free up an additional roster spot.

This is Kohl Levao’s third summer with the Jets, and he has yet to appear in a regular-season game. Given how weak the Jets’ IOL depth is, he could very well end up making the 53-man roster.

The same holds true for Marquis Hayes, who is in his second summer with the organization.

Marcelino McCrary-Ball was the Jets’ special teams captain last year, but that’s really all he offers. He hasn’t been trustworthy as a rotational linebacker, and that could leave him on the outside looking in.

On the other hand, LBs like Kiko Mauigoa and Mykal Walker, particularly Walker, have proven to play meaningful special teams roles while being clear upgrades over McCrary-Ball on defense.

While Sanders has accomplished more in the pros, it is still very much a competition with Cade York for New York’s kicking job this season.

Longshot (33)

(*= practice squad candidate)

  • QB Brady Cook
  • RB Sam Scott
  • RB Chip Trayanum*
  • WR DT Sheffield
  • WR Caullin Lacy
  • WR Cam Camper
  • WR Malik McClain
  • WR Quincy Skinner Jr.
  • WR Jamaal Pritchett
  • TE Chase Curtis*
  • TE Connor Hulstein
  • OL Courtland Ford
  • OL Liam Fornadel*
  • DL Mazi Smith
  • DL Tyler Baron*
  • DL Paschal Ekeji*
  • DL Payton Page*
  • DL Jack Heflin*
  • DL Braiden McGregor*
  • DL Kingsley Jonathan
  • DL Nate Voorhis*
  • LB Jaden Keller
  • LB Chase Wilson
  • CB Samuel Womack III*
  • CB Tre Brown*
  • CB Jordan Clark
  • S Jarius Monroe*

Chase Curtis, an undrafted free agent out of TCU, has had a very strong training camp, as our own Robby Sabo noted, but the TE room is just too crowded for him to earn a roster spot.

However, he is very much a practice squad candidate.

Tyler Baron is the most notable “longshot” here. The Jets traded up for him in the fifth round of last year’s NFL draft, but he struggled to find the field during his rookie year and was even a healthy scratch on multiple occasions.

Perhaps he sticks around on the practice squad, but with a quiet summer as well, he just doesn’t have a role in the Jets’ revamped edge room.

Paschal Ekeji, who was born in South Africa, entered the NFL through the league’s International Pathway Player Program, meaning he will stick around on the team’s practice squad.

Players who enter the NFL through the IPP program don’t count against a practice squad spot, essentially allowing the Jets to carry an extra player on their practice squad.

Overall, there isn’t as much mystery entering the preseason compared to prior years, but for the handful of Jets still on the bubble, the three games will be crucial, while many other players fight for practice squad spots.