Which Jets Training Camp Players Are Important To Watch?

During Corley’s time in college, he was dominant with the ball in his hands. He totaled 2,068 yards after the catch, the most in the FBS, which earned him the nickname “YAC King”. Pre-draft, the big worry about Corley was his route tree. Western Kentucky didn’t have Corley run a diverse set of routes because of how good he was with the ball in his hands. Despite this, with Aaron Rodgers at QB, the Jets were a good landing spot for Corley. Directly after being drafted, Corley introduced himself to Rodgers and was invited to stay at his mansion during camp.

However, his rookie season was largely forgettable. Despite working with Rodgers, Corley was only active in five games. In those games, he only touched the ball four times. His most notable contribution for the Jets came against the Texans, when Corely took an end-around in for a would-be touchdown. Unfortunately for Corley, he dropped the ball on the one-yard line while celebrating, which turned six points into a turnover.

Now, Corley finds himself on the outside looking in with the Jets receiving core. Saleh and Douglas, who wanted him “no matter what”, are no longer part of the organization.

Corley is already off to a bad start — he missed part of OTA’s with an injury. Glenn has stated they want to utilize him in a way that will play to his strengths, but admitted they still have “a ways to go”. There is no guarantee he will make the team despite it only being his second year.

Arian Smith

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, wide receiver Arian Smith joins a Jets roster with a chance to make an impact early. Besides star Garrett Wilson, the other two starting receivers for the Jets are Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds. Between the pair, Lazard has the only 700-yard season, and that was in 2022, prior to joining the Jets. In nine games last season, Reynolds had a miniscule 194 yards receiving.

Smith doesn’t just have a chance due to the unappealing nature of the other receivers. In his senior year, Smith led Georgia in receiving with 817 yards, mostly acting as a deep threat with his great speed. At the combine, Smith had a dazzling 4.36 second 40-yard dash, which put him in the top ten fastest rookies at the combine this year.

Despite leading Georgia in receiving, Smith showed a glaring flaw in his game in 2024. Out of 76 targets, Smith dropped nine passes, which made for the 12th highest drop rate in the FBS. Smith agreed it is a problem, stating it is a focus issue that he is motivated to fix.

While drops are a concern, Smith has shown an ability to get open deep, which is something the aforementioned Corley hasn’t. If Smith can cut down on the drops and earn the team’s trust during camp, he will instantly become the most appealing option between him, Lazard, and Reynolds. His explosive ability is sorely needed to take attention off of Garrett Wilson.

The Entirety of Special Teams

After a stellar season from kicker Greg Zuerlein in 2023, where he missed only three field goals, the Jets seemingly had stability at the kicker position.

In 2024, Zuerlein was a contributing factor in a disappointing season. He missed key field goals against the Broncos, Patriots, and Bills, taking wins away from the Jets. Overall, Zuerlein went 9-15 on field goals, doubling his misses from the season prior. He only played eight games, as he missed time with injury, and was cut in May.

Additionally, the Jets released punter Thomas Morstead. Morstead was an unsung hero in 2023. He led the NFL in punting yards and kept an abysmal Jets offense in games by pinning opposing offenses deep in their own territory. He was a cap casualty this offseason, and the Jets now have to fill both special teams roles.

At kicker, the Jets signed Harrison Mevis. Mevis comes from the UFL, where he made 20 of 21 field goals with the Birmingham Stallions. To compete with him, they signed undrafted rookie kicker Caden Davis. Davis made 24 of 29 field goals in 2024 with Ole Miss.

To fill the void at punter, the Jets acquired undrafted rookie Kai Kroeger. With the South Carolina Gamecocks, Kroeger was a first-team All-American in 2022, and last season was first-team All-SEC at his position. After the unit cost them games last season, a lot of eyes will be on special teams during this Jets training camp.

Max Shuart’s Picks:

Azareye’h Thomas

The FSU corner comes into Florham Park with a legitimate chance to earn the starting spot alongside superstar Sauce Gardner, though he will have some competition. Like Gardner, Thomas is quick and lengthy. He stands at 6-foot-2 with a quick twitch that allows him to put pressure on receivers. This is important because the Jets DB room needs all the help they can get.

After losing DJ Reed to the Lions this offseason, the front office brought in veteran cornerback Brandon Stephens from Baltimore. Typically, bringing in a vet means bringing in a skilled and experienced player to the team, but instead, Stephens comes in immediately viewed as a liability. Last season, Stephens was ranked one of the worst defensive backs in the league. He allowed the second-most receiving yards (858) through Week 18. With Azareye’h (AZ) Thomas coming in with much to prove, this position battle will be one to look out for during Jets training camp.

Coach Glenn also noted in his post-draft press conference that Thomas reminded him of Lions Pro Bowl cornerback Brian Branch, who he drafted just two years ago as the defensive coordinator in Detroit. If Glenn can teach Thomas what he knows from being a corner for the Jets and allow him to progress his game the way he did with Branch, the future looks bright for the Seminole in green.

Training camp will be a time to showcase what AZ brings to the table. If he can prove he is league-ready during these next few weeks, he has a real chance to steal the starting role from the seasoned vet Stephens and run the secondary side-by-side with a Pro Bowler in Gardner.

Will McDonald IV

Coming off of a monster year, Will McDonald IV showed fans what they had been hoping for. McDonald finally lived up to his draft hype, becoming one of the top sack leaders last season, dumping the QB 10.5 times — tied for 12th best in the NFL. He stepped up when the team needed him most, after Pro Bowl DE Jermaine Johnson ruptured his Achilles, leading McDonald to fill the role.

The former Iowa State phenom quietly had one of the best sophomore seasons in the league, creating pressure on virtually every snap he was a part of. Jets fans’ expectations are high, hoping McDonald can be as productive as he was last year. But with Johnson back on the line this season, McDonald comes into training camp needing to prove his worth.

Summer workouts will give a good idea as to how the two play off the ball together. McDonald is fast and long, which allows him to slip by his bigger teammates, while Johnson relies on his brute strength to overpower the men in the trenches. While they have different ways of approaching the game, they both want to drop the quarterback.

Now the question looms: Will McDonald regress now that he is sharing the field with a talent like Johnson, or will the two of them find chemistry and become a scary combo of edge rushers that puts the league on watch? Fans won’t know for sure until the season is underway, but they shouldn’t sleep on either of them during Jets training camp.

Malachi Moore

The fourth rounder out of Alabama is coming into training camp with some big shoes to fill. Over the course of last season, both Jet safeties Tony Adams and Chuck Clark went down with injuries, spreading the room thin and leaving Ashtyn Davis to pick up the reins. During the offseason, Davis left to play for the Dolphins, subsequently leaving the team scrambling to replace him.

The front office originally planned to fill this roster hole with Jaguars safety Andre Cisco, but when Malachi Moore fell to the Jets on day three, they decided to pad their roster.

Moore was a two-year defensive captain for the Crimson Tide, earning first-team All-SEC and was a second-team AP All-American. He stood out to scouts, for better or for worse, due to his aggressive play style.

Moore was a headhunter in Tuscaloosa, playing the target instead of the ball. This “hit-stick mentality” turned some teams away, but coach Glenn thinks he fits the brand of football the Jets want to play. In a post-draft interview, Glenn stated, “he fits us to a tee.”

Moore comes into the Meadowlands looking to show what he’s got. With Tony Adams coming back from injury as the starting SS and Andre Cisco filling in at FS, Moore already has stiff competition. Despite this, he continued to get first and second team reps during OTAs, showing signs of promise. If he continues to progress throughout training camp, Moore may be able to sneak into a starting role. If not, he possesses the skills to fill in wherever the coaches need him.

Although he played safety his last few years at Alabama, Moore started as a nickel CB his first few years of college. This gives him the versatility to plug and play anywhere in coordinator Steve Wilks’ defense. This summer he hopes to find his role as a rookie and earn some playing time. Keep an eye out for Malachi Moore during Jets training camp, because if someone in the secondary goes down this season, he is likely the replacement.