These NY Jets receivers could have big days in KC with Wilson out

The New York Jets are back in action today, facing the 5-2 Kansas City Chiefs as multi-possession road underdogs.

It will be an uphill battle for Gang Green, made even tougher by the absence of star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who is out with a concussion he suffered in last week’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Fully replacing Wilson is almost impossible, but the Jets have an intriguing cast of young weapons to pick up the slack. Without him today, here is the Jets’ best course of action to optimize their passing attack.

How the Jets should handle the pass-catching situation

One of the most promising developments from the Jets’ offense over the past few weeks has been the emergence of rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.

After returning in Week 6 from his Week 1 injury, Cooper has hauled in 12 of his 13 targets for 248 yards and two touchdowns across four games this season. While it’s a small sample size, he’s averaging a whopping 20.7 yards per reception without dropping a pass.

Cooper has lined up in the slot on 64.4% of his passing snaps this season, compared to just 34.5% out wide. That isn’t particularly surprising given his success out of the slot at Indiana.

However, with Wilson out today, the Jets have a chance to move him outside for an extended look. Cooper has clearly proven he can win downfield and create opportunities after the catch, so getting a look at him on the outside could be worthwhile. Of his 248 receiving yards, 177 came after the catch, and his average depth of target is currently 10.7 yards.

At the end of the day, the Jets need to find ways to get the ball in Cooper’s hands. His production so far speaks for itself. After not targeting Cooper once last week, the Jets should be able to change that significantly with Wilson out.

Then, there is Adonai Mitchell. He is coming off the best statistical outing of his career last week, setting a career-high in receiving yards (142) against the Raiders. Now comes the difficult part: doing it again.

Mitchell is creating separation at a very high level, which is encouraging. Especially with Geno Smith’s strong quarterback play this season, if Mitchell keeps getting open at a high rate, the ball will find him. Mitchell has been doing his job; today is an opportunity to make him the focal point of the passing game.

The Jets should also look to get their tight ends involved: Mason Taylor and Kenyon Sadiq. It’s important not to completely sideline those players. Sadiq’s role has dropped off over the past few weeks, but since returning from injury, Taylor has played an important role within the Jets’ offense.

If the Jets use Cooper on the outside more often today, Sadiq should have a strong chance to get involved in the slot, where he’s had most of his success this season. Sadiq’s blocking capabilities are currently limited, but why not give him chances to be featured in the passing game?

The lone time New York featured Sadiq in a heavy workload—when they gave him eight targets in Week 3 due to Taylor’s absence—Sadiq delivered seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. In every other game this season, Sadiq did not receive more than four targets.

The Jets are 2-6, and without Wilson, the focus needs to be on player development and figuring out what the team has in its young core. Sadiq, a first-round rookie, is a part of that, so it’s time to see what he can do.

It’s going to be tough for the Jets to navigate life without arguably their best player today, but it presents an opportunity for the young studs in Gang Green’s passing attack to have a big day.