Aaron Rodgers' new Davante Adams, 'fat' Quinnen Williams and other 'Hard Knocks' lessons

'Tis the season for fantasy football drafts. So, here's some valuable advice as you prepare to dominate your league of extraordinary friends this fall … hope Garrett Wilson is there for the taking.

New quarterback Aaron Rodgers has yet to take any meaningful snaps for the New York Jets — he will start in the Jets' fourth and final preseason game Saturday against the New York Giants — but "Hard Knocks" has shown that the future Hall of Fame quarterback and last year's offensive rookie of the year might have a unique Davante Adams-like vibe that could be mutually beneficial for both players, their team and fantasy owners alike.

"We played him three times, so I really kind of know (Rodgers). Like, I know him. He ain't got Davante Adams though …" Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White says during a joint practice between the two teams. "That's what I'm saying. I don't know his guy right now. He got a lot of guys. I don't know his guy."

Insert highlight montage of Rodgers throwing numerous passes to Wilson, who in said montage makes some amazing catches.

Yeah, we think Rodgers has found his East Coast Davante Adams.

"What's 17 like?" former NFL wide receiver Braylon Edwards asks Rodgers after the Jets-Bucs joint practice.

"He's special," Rodgers says. "He's so (expletive) quick, I'm like missing the wrong shoulder. He gets out of his breaks so quick.

"Yeah, he's special, though. Best part is, he's a good dude."

HARD KNOCKS EPISODE 1: 'The Aaron Rodgers Show' and a fourth wall break

HARD KNOCKS EPISODE 2:  Offense has issues, Quinnen Williams wreaks havoc

'LET'S GO EAT A SNACK!' 18 most memorable 'Hard Knocks' moments

Here is more of what we learned during the third episode of "'Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the New York Jets":

RB room gets instant boost

Last week, the Jets signed running back Dalvin Cook to a one-year contract, bringing one of Rodgers' former NFC North rivals into the fold. In his final four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Cook was excellent, rushing for over 1,100 yards and earning Pro Bowl nods in each of those seasons.

Cook joins a backfield that already featured Breece Hall. Hall was off to a promising rookie season in 2022 before tearing his ACL during the Jets' Week 7 win against the Denver Broncos. A day after the Jets agreed to terms on a contract with Cook, Hall made his anticipated return to the practice field.

A healthy Hall and the addition of Cook should give the Jets a potent one-two punch out of the backfield.

There will be a lot of mouths to feed in the Jets offense, what with Wilson likely — and rightfully so — hogging a healthy portion of Rodgers' targets.

Mike Evans called Quinnen Williams 'fat'

Things got saucy — pun intended since Sauce Gardner was getting heavily involved in the commotion — during the joint practice between the Jets and Buccaneers (so much so that a Jets assistant coach got caught up in some "friendly fire" and was hospitalized).

And, as expected, trash talk was on the menu. Things got personal.

"Mike Evans called me fat," Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams — who is listed at 6-foot-3, 303 pounds — said. "I lost weight this offseason."

Zach Wilson's shake and bake

With Rodgers sitting out the Jets' first three preseason games, Wilson — the former franchise quarterback-turned-understudy — has seen a lot of action. The mentorship under Rodgers appears to be paying off, as Wilson has had an efficient preseason throwing the ball.

On Saturday against the Buccaneers, however, Wilson showed off his scrambling ability. In what might have been the Jets' lone highlight on offense, Wilson displayed some spin moves and juking ability for a 35-yard gain.

Rodgers saw an opportunity for a teaching moment: "Good run … go out of bounds!"

'The Karate Kid' is 'so (expletive) excited'

Ralph Macchio, best known as Daniel LaRusso from "The Karate Kid" movies and "Cobra Kai" series, made an appearance at Jets practice.

He waxes on some wisdom.

"An old movie sensei friend of mine once said, 'to succeed in life in all aspects, you need to find balance,'" Macchio said. "And I am seeing balance on this field, and as a longtime Jet fan that I haven't seen in my memory. I am so effin excited for this season."

"You said what?" Sauce Gardner asks.

Finally, Macchio drops the intended expletive to rousing cheers from the players.

Players on the fringe

Just when it seemed "Hard Knocks" might not feature any bottom-half-of-the-roster characters, viewers were introduced to some Tuesday night.

These players exist in the wilderness that is roster spots Nos. 54-90 in an NFL team's training camp hoard, a labyrinthine collection of players that comprises mostly third-day draft picks, undrafted rookies, former and future practice squad members, and former and future XFL or USFL players.

Packed into this episode a week before the NFL's 53-player roster cutdown mandate were:

• Undrafted rookie wide receiver Jerome Kapp put forth a Slim Shady performance that brought down the house (err, Jets team meeting room). Kapp, who played at Division II Kutztown (the same school that produced Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Andre Reed), sports No. 31 and will have a hard time making the roster in a receiver room crowded with Rodgers' former Green Bay Packers buddies.

• Defensive lineman Tanzel Smart is entering his sixth NFL season, after spending his first three with the Los Angeles Rams and previous two with the Jets. He was seen in the first "Hard Knocks" episode mispronouncing "charcuterie board".

• Wide receiver Xavier Gipson, an undrafted rookie out of Stephen F. Austin, might need to impress with his return skills to make the final 53-player roster. He had a punt return for 31 yards in Saturday's preseason game against the Buccaneers.

• Running back Izzy Abanikanda is a local kid from Brooklyn. He was a 2023 fifth-round draft pick out of Pittsburgh, and — similar to Kapp and Gipson — sits in a crowded position room after the addition of Cook. Abanikanda had been having a nice night against the Buccaneers until he went knee-to-knee with offensive lineman Adam Pankey and left the game injured. After the game, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Abanikanda had a thigh contusion.

NFL teams must trim rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 29, which means that by the time next week's "Hard Knocks" airs, fans already will have learned which players were let go. It's unfortunate that the timing of the cutdown day — which moved to the Tuesday two weeks before the season opener in 2021 vs. the traditional Saturday before the season kicked off — has really hamstrung the show when it comes to highlighting the human drama that is the month-long chasing of an NFL dream.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hard Knocks Jets recap: Aaron Rodgers calls Garrett Wilson 'special'