The New York Jets haven’t had much to feel good about lately, and that’s putting it mildly.

At 2-5, losing five of their last six games, the Jets’ hopes of a competitive season have pretty much been crushed, and it isn’t even Halloween yet.

For all of the problems surrounding the team, though, there has been at least one silver lining to feel solid about: the ascent of New York’s young offensive weapons.

The Jets’ weapons have stood out

Entering this season, the Jets’ established weapons on offense were Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. Everything beyond that was unknown at the start of the year.

Players like Adonai Mitchell and Mason Taylor had shown flashes, but nothing sustainable that proved they could handle a significant workload this season. Hall’s backup, Braelon Allen, was still looking to turn the upside of his imposing frame into production. Then there was the hope that the two first-round rookie pass catchers, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr., would make an immediate impact.

So far, all of Mitchell, Taylor, Sadiq, Cooper, and Allen have flashed promise, and then some.

Despite missing four weeks with a finger injury, Mitchell has proven a viable deep threat while building a strong rapport with quarterback Geno Smith. Before his injury, Mitchell caught 12 passes for 123 yards in two games, posting back-to-back performances of 60+ yards.

Sadiq had a signature game in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions, hauling in 105 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. He showed exactly what he can do when he’s given plenty of opportunities.

Then there’s Cooper, who might be the most exciting piece from the bunch so far. After returning from injury, the rookie has exploded over the past two weeks.

Against the New England Patriots in Week 6, Cooper caught six of his seven targets for 103 yards and his first career touchdown, which was a huge 48-yard bomb; he also had a 14-yard touchdown wiped out by an unrelated penalty. Cooper built on that performance against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, reeling in all five of his targets for 115 yards and a touchdown, including a 52-yard play on the Jets’ first offensive snap of the game.

Cooper is drawing favorable one-on-one matchups thanks to the attention being dedicated to Garrett Wilson, and the rookie is shredding them. According to Next Gen Stats, Cooper ran five routes against man coverage on Sunday. On those five routes, he was targeted three times and caught three passes for 115 yards, averaging 23.0 yards per route run, the highest mark of any player in a single game since at least 2018 with at least five routes.

What’s stood out most about Cooper’s game is his versatility. He not only has the ability to create in open space, but has emerged as a consistent vertical threat. It’s huge for the Jets to have a weapon like that to place next to Wilson. Cooper looks like he’ll be a valuable playmaker moving forward.

And how about Mason Taylor? After a rookie campaign that showed real promise, the 2025 second-round pick has taken another step forward in 2026.

In his rookie campaign, Taylor’s success in contested situations was eye-popping. In 2025, he caught 11 of his 14 contested targets (78.6%), equating to the second-highest rate among TEs who faced at least 10 contested situations.

That signaled Taylor could emerge as a strong red-zone target in 2026, which he did against Miami on Sunday. He hauled in two contested touchdowns, keeping the Jets within striking distance, along with a two-point conversion. Taylor was one of the team’s most reliable players on Sunday.

The second-year player has also made strides as a run blocker, which was not one of his strengths coming out of college. Against the Patriots in Week 6, he earned a 70.2 run-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus, which was the highest among tight ends that week.

So far, Taylor has proven to be a pretty solid all-around player, and he continues to grow as a receiver, which is highly encouraging.

Perhaps the biggest surprise on offense has been running back Braelon Allen. With Breece Hall sidelined with a quad injury since Week 3, Allen has stepped into a much larger role than anyone expected entering the season, and to his credit, he has capitalized on it.

This season, he ranks third among 39 qualified running backs (minimum 50 carries) in yards after contact per attempt (3.80), fifth in missed tackles forced (26), and sixth in 10+ yard runs (14).

Allen has popped off in a way few people could have anticipated. At 250 pounds, he was expected to be a bruising, short-yardage back utilized primarily in those situations. But he’s taken on a bell cow role without Hall, and with the heavy workload, he has played the best football of his career.

Even when Hall returns, Allen has proven he deserves to keep an important role in the Jets’ offense.

The Jets are still 2-5, but this is an important development for the long-term future of the team. New York’s offensive core is far more reliable now than it was when the season began, and that’s crucial.

Regardless of how the rest of the season pans out, this team has plenty of young offensive talent that fans should be excited about.