The New York Jets’ top cutdown day add was interior offensive lineman Jordan Meredith, whom the team acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a late-round pick swap.

He helps the team in a key area: offensive line depth, a spot on the depth chart where the squad was in immediate need of help. You could make the case that Gang Green should still look to add another depth piece on the OL. At the very least, though, Meredith is an experienced presence who has shown flashes of high-end starting guard play at his peak.

Is he really just a depth piece, though? Everyone knows the Jets lack a game-changing center with Josh Myers currently slotted in that role. Could Meredith end up taking Myers’ job?

Myers vs. Meredith: Who offers more at center?

Following a strong season at guard in 2024, where he ranked sixth at the position in Pro Football Focus’ overall grade, the Raiders moved Meredith to center for the 2025 season, and his play fell off dramatically.

Myers, on the other hand, was expected to enter the 2025 season as a backup with the Jets before Alijah Vera-Tucker suffered a season-ending injury before Week 1, which pushed Joe Tippmann to guard and brought in Myers at center.

He ultimately started all 17 games, but he was far from effective by the metrics. It’s hard to fault the former Green Bay Packer, though. He wasn’t signed as a starter, but he adjusted quickly and remained in the role for all 17 games of the season.

Myers signed a two-year extension with New York during the season, but his play suggested that he should not be viewed as a long-term starter, and instead as a high-end depth piece.

Overall, Myers and Meredith graded out very similarly last season at center. Here is a comparison of their metrics in several key areas.

The numbers show that there isn’t much of a gap between the two, but this shouldn’t be viewed as a “competition” at all. The Jets are set on Myers being their center to open the season, which begins in less than two weeks.

The biggest takeaway is that neither player performed like a clear-cut starting-caliber center in 2025. Myers ranked 39th out of 40 qualifiers in PFF’s overall grade, while Meredith finished 32nd. Even Meredith’s best specific grade, run blocking, ranked just 29th.

Where Myers had the clear edge over Meredith was in the pass-blocking game. Myers’ 62.9 pass-blocking grade finished 29th, while Meredith’s 48.5 grade came in at 38th. Meredith actually allowed eight fewer total pressures (20 compared to Myers’ 28), but that came on significantly fewer pass-blocking snaps (439 to 640).

Myers, notably, struggled with penalties, getting flagged seven times throughout the year, which was the third most among centers, while Meredith’s four tied for 18th.

While Meredith ranked higher in overall grade, neither is a starting-caliber center. They each also had their own strengths last year. Myers was the better pass blocker, Meredith was the better run blocker, and both finished near the bottom of the position in at least one major category.

Meredith’s versatility makes him a valuable addition to the second-string group. He has played all three interior offensive line spots, and his best football came at guard in 2024.

Overall, Myers should remain the starting center, especially for the sake of continuity. He led the unit throughout all 17 starts last year and over the entirety of this summer, so switching centers now for the possibility of a marginal upgrade would not make much sense.

It is fair to note, though, that Meredith gives the Jets not only a legitimate backup across the interior in case of injury, but also a secondary option at center if Myers gets off to a shaky start to the season.

In exchange for a late-round pick swap, that’s more than solid value.