There was a lot to like in the New York Jets’ 17-0 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of the preseason.

Here are three Jets who helped their stock the most on Friday night.

S Andre Cisco

Just after it looked like Dane Belton was running away with the Jets’ No. 2 safety role uncontested, Andre Cisco reminded everyone that he is still in play.

Cisco jumped a route as the Steelers marched down the field in the first half, securing the Jets’ first in-game interception since their preseason finale last year, Aug. 22, 2025.

Throughout 21 snaps, Cisco tallied two tackles, two stops, and the interception, marking a rock-solid showing.

At the same time, Belton started at safety and delivered a highly productive outing in his own right, indicating he is still the favorite for the role, though Cisco certainly helped his case.

As our own Robby Sabo pointed out, Belton profiles as more of a strong safety, although he has significant experience at free safety as well, while Cisco is more of a natural center fielder.

Friday was a textbook performance for Cisco at a perfect time—right as it felt that Belton was beginning to distance himself.

At points in his career, Cisco has forced turnovers at a very high level.

From 2022-23, the Syracuse product ranked fourth among safeties in interceptions (7). Furthermore, he tallied more picks than touchdowns allowed in coverage over that span, recording a 2:3 TD: INT ratio in 2022 and a 2:4 ratio during the 2023 season.

While there is still work to do, Friday was certainly a step in the right direction for Cisco.

TE Jelani Woods

As he fights for a roster spot, Jelani Woods’ strong summer continued on Friday night as his one reception was Geno Smith’s 13-yard touchdown pass to begin the game.

Woods has flashed all summer long despite being in a highly crowded tight end room with three roster rocks in Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq and Jeremy Ruckert.

When you add in the connection to Frank Reich, who coached him with the Indianapolis Colts, it seems increasingly possible that Woods will stick around on the team’s 53-man roster.

Woods’ career has been frustrating. At 6-foot-7, 253 pounds, and with a perfect 10.0 RAS (Relative Athletic Score), the former third-round pick has all the unteachable traits. Injuries have derailed his career, though.

Since his rookie campaign in 2022, Woods has only appeared in four regular-season games, all of which came with the Jets in 2025, where he had just one reception on three targets.

Given his size and athleticism, though, Woods remains a potential matchup nightmare for opposing defenses when he is on the field. He isn’t the typical back-of-the-roster tight end because of that element.

His showing over the summer could force the Jets to carry four tight ends, and Friday’s performance only further increased the likelihood of that.

WR Malik McClain

Among the Jets’ undrafted rookies this year, Malik McClain is one of the more intriguing options due to his strong athletic profile.

On Friday night, McClain hauled in both of his targets for 25 yards, while recovering a forced fumble on special teams, although it was ruled Pittsburgh’s ball since neither of his feet got in bounds. Nevertheless, it was a heady play and strong awareness on special teams for the UDFA.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, McClain posted a 4.47 40-yard dash while recording a 40-inch, contributing to a 9.92 RAS (Relative Athletic Score).

Similar to Woods, McClain has all the athletic tools you could ask for. The issue with McClain, though, is that those tools didn’t particularly equate to production in the NCAA.

Throughout five college seasons with three different programs in 57 games, he collected 993 yards and eight touchdowns on 72 receptions, good enough for an average of 13.8 yards per reception.

His single-season high in receiving yards came at Arizona State in 2025 with just 441. That explains why he went undrafted.

Given the competitiveness in the Jets’ wide receiver room, a spot on the 53-man roster seems unlikely, but if McClain closes out the preseason strong next Friday, he could certainly find himself in line for a priority practice squad spot.