The New York Jets, like every other NFL team, have been identifying their own strengths and weaknesses during training camp and preseason.
With a Week 1 battle against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers looming, the Jets are focused on getting the Aaron Glenn era off on the right foot.
But what does Gang Green need to worry about the most — internally speaking — as the campaign approaches? On the contrary, what area can this Jets group lean into as a source of reliability?
Pro Football Focus did some work on Tuesday to answer those questions in its season preview for the Jets.
According to PFF, New York’s talented running back room will be blessed with a sturdy offensive line; the same can be said about starting quarterback Justin Fields as he gets more and more comfortable in Tanner Engstrand’s offense.
That’s because PFF identified the O-line as Gang Green’s biggest strength.
“If first-round tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou live up to expectations, the Jets could soon feature one of the NFL’s top offensive lines,” PFF’s report read. “Fashanu earned a solid 74.7 pass-blocking grade last season at left tackle and will stay on the blind side in New York. Membou, meanwhile, ranked third among all FBS tackles in overall grade (90.6) at Missouri. The interior should also hold up well, as John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker both ranked among the top 10 at their positions in PFF grade last season."
New York wisely locked in Garrett Wilson with a handsome contract extension this offseason, but the Jets have a ton of questions at wideout beyond Wilson, which isn’t great news for Fields. While New York is expected to rely heavily on its ground attack, PFF still couldn’t avoid labeling the Jets' receiving depth as their biggest weakness.
“Garrett Wilson ranks among the NFL’s elite wide receivers, but the Jets lack proven pass-catching depth behind him,” the report read. “No other player on the roster surpassed 530 receiving yards at the NFL level last season. Allen Lazard has struggled with reliability, dropping nearly 18% of his catchable targets over the past two years. Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson have yet to establish themselves as consistent contributors. The tight end room is thin as well, with second-round rookie Mason Taylor likely to take on the bulk of the receiving workload.”
The Jets’ offense is in danger of becoming too predictable. However, if the O-line meets or exceeds expectations, and New York’s defense comes together around Sauce Gardner, the Jets should be able to stay competitive in most of their games.
The Glenn era might not see the playoffs in its first season, but fans can expect this team to battle hard on every single possession.
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