We don’t have to tell New York Jets fans to watch out for how the starting offense looks or how Cade Klubnik performs.

Those are the obvious storylines for tonight’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7 p.m. EST).

Here are three sneaky storylines for Jets fans to keep an eye on.

1. The LB3 battle

The Jets seem to have fewer end-of-roster battles than in years past. Many of their 53 spots appear to already be nailed down.

Still, the preseason will feature plenty of intriguing battles for positioning on the depth chart. Of those, one of the most underrated by fans is the LB3 competition.

LB3 is an overlooked role in the NFL. While it is easy to write off the third linebacker as a backup to the two starters, he actually plays a decent chunk of snaps in most games. Exactly how many snaps depends on the scheme and the game plan, but a team’s third linebacker often plays anywhere from 10% to 40% in any given game.

Back in the olden days, you might see three linebackers on the field for nearly the entire game. But since NFL defenses started to heavily rely on nickel packages (5 DBs) in response to the heavy usage of 11 personnel packages (3 WRs) by offenses, we have seen a drastic reduction in the usage of base packages (4 DBs) by defenses.

This shift has significantly reduced the importance of having three starter-caliber linebackers, but that third linebacker is not completely extinct. Every team still uses base packages to some extent, although to varying degrees.

The Jets figure to rely heavily on base packages in 2026. Back in 2024, when Aaron Glenn was their defensive coordinator, the Detroit Lions led the NFL with a 44% usage rate of base packages.

Suffice to say, the Jets’ third linebacker will not only be more important than most fans realize, but he might be more important than any of his counterparts around the NFL.

The top competitors for this role seem to be second-year man Kiko Mauigoa, 2025 special teams captain Marcelino McCrary-Ball, and veteran Mykal Walker. Watch them closely tonight, as the best of the bunch could end up playing over 40% of the Jets’ defensive snaps.

2. Backup OL

The Jets’ backup offensive line was a major question mark going into the 2025 season. Fortunately, that question mark never had to be tested, as the team started the same five players in all 17 games (although one of those players, Josh Myers, was intended to be a backup before Alijah Vera-Tucker’s season-ending injury).

It would be wonderful if the Jets could experience that type of durability once again, but odds are, it won’t happen. The second-string offensive line will probably have to step up this season.

For that reason, it’s imperative for the Jets to extract as much confidence in their backup linemen as they can over the next three games. As much top-10 hype as the Jets’ starting offensive line has received this offseason, depth is a major factor in fielding an elite offensive line in the NFL, too. The Jets need their second-stringers to prove they won’t sink the entire offensive line if called upon.

Every team deals with offensive line injuries to some extent; most have to handle at least one major injury over the course of the season. It’s a five-man unit, nearly half the team; someone is bound to get hurt. The league’s best lines are the ones that build enough cohesion within the system to keep the train chugging when one or even two starters go down.

Many fans will be compelled to turn the game off once the starters sit down, but the true die-hards will be glued to the screen to see how Max Mitchell, Chukwuma Okorafor, Xavier Newman, Anez Cooper, and Landon Young perform. At least one of these guys could end up being the key to whether the Jets’ offensive line reaches its highest ceiling in years.

3. The unheralded camp stars

David Bailey and Adonai Mitchell are among the headliners out of Jets camp so far, but there have been some unheralded standouts who will get their first chance to shine on a big stage.

Jets X-Factor’s Robby Sabo listed six of the most under-the-radar stars based on what he’s observed in Florham Park. A few of those players might be brand-new names for Jets fans.

Tight end Chase Curtis, a 26-year-old undrafted rookie from TCU, is a contender to have the most receptions at training camp this year, per Sabo. He’s displayed excellent hands, rarely dropping passes thrown his way.

Slot cornerback Samuel Womack, a fifth-year veteran, has consistently stayed attached in one-on-one coverage matchups.

There’s also the familiar Jamaal Pritchett, who captured Jets fans’ hearts during the summer of 2025 before spending the season on the practice squad. Pritchett is making his second attempt at cracking the Jets’ roster with his elusiveness and shiftiness on both offense and special teams.

It is unlikely that any of these players will make the initial 53-man roster, but they could land spots on the practice squad, and if they impress in the preseason, the Jets might be quick to call one of them up in a pinch during the regular season.