Jets 2023 Position Breakdown: Can the Jets avoid letdowns on special teams?
Heading into the 2023 season, the Jets have made a series of moves to improve the state of their roster and overall depth, but are they ready to compete for a playoff spot?
In this series, we’ll break down the depth chart for every position group. This time, we’ll go in-depth on the special teams units…
Projected depth chart
Starters: Greg Zuerlein (kicker), Thomas Morstead (punter), Israel Abanikanda (kickoff returns), Mecole Hardman (punt returns).
Backups: Zonovan Knight (kickoff returns), Randall Cobb (punt returns).
Key additions/losses: Re-signed Zuerlein and Morstead. Released punter Braden Mann. Opted not to re-sign Braxton Berrios.
Top Performer in 2022: Zuerlein 30 field goals from 37 attempts.
2022 ranking via PFF: Zuerlein 16th (out of 34 qualifying kickers).
What Jets’ special teams units have going for them
The Jets’ special teams units are led by pro bowler Justin Hardee, who was among the league leaders in special teams tackles, but also contributed in other ways, including as a blocker and with his leadership on and off the field. However, the team made several personnel changes last year and had a couple of costly breakdowns in the second half of the season.
The return game was led by Berrios, who was an All-Pro in 2021. However, he didn’t have much of an impact last season. Again, part of this could be due to the personnel not blocking as well as they did in the previous season. Berrios was signed by Miami so the team will need to build their return game around someone else.
The Jets’ kicking game is in safe hands with a pair of solid veterans. Zuerlein is back after a solid season with the team in 2022 and the Jets are also welcoming back Morstead, who temporarily filled in for the injured Mann in 2021. Mann was released at the end of an inconsistent third season.
Other good contributors set to return include Jamien Sherwood, Brandin Echols and Nick Bawden. The team will also hope that rookies like Zaire Barnes and Jarrick Bernard-Converse will step up and make some contributions.
Key concern for 2023: Kick coverage
The kick coverage units did a solid job for most of the year. However, New England scored a late game-winning touchdown on a punt return and then Detroit also scored on a punt return a few weeks later and went on to win a close game. The Jets could have ended up with a winning record if not for those two plays.
Hardee is consistently the first player down the field, but the Jets need other players to get down there and clean up once he forces the return man to change direction and they need better lane discipline as a group. There are also some rule changes coming in this year, which special teams coordinator Brant Boyer isn’t a big fan of.
Player who must step up in 2023: Zuerlein
If the Jets are going to contend in 2023, that will ramp up the intensity on any pressure kicks. Zuerlein has been in that situation countless times before, but he must deliver if called upon to make a clutch kick that could potentially make or break their season.
In 2022, Zuerlein made two game-winners, but he also missed a 58-yarder as time expired in the crucial late season loss to the Lions.
Zuerlein set a couple of franchise records last year, but there were also a few occasions where he missed long kicks which gave the other team good field position to set up a score. With Aaron Rodgers now at quarterback, the Jets may be less inclined to attempt those long kicks in 2023.
Biggest camp battle: Knight vs. Abanikanda vs. Ashtyn Davis vs. Diontae Spencer vs. Xavier Gipson
With Berrios gone, both return jobs are up for grabs and we could see an interesting competition with multiple contenders play out in camp and preseason.
Running backs Knight and Abanikanda each had good records on kickoffs in college. Davis is another player who has returned kickoffs in the past, as is Hardman.
On punts, Hardman and Cobb have plenty of experience to handle this role, but the veteran Spencer and undrafted rookie Gipson will be keen to show they could offer more in a specialist role.
Overall 2023 outlook
The Jets overlooked their special teams units last season, allowing contributors like Blake Cashman, Del’Shawn Phillips and Jason Pinnock to depart and relying on others to step up in place of them. This came back to bite them in those two late-season losses.
Boyer being back for an eighth season at least provides good continuity but last year proved that the personnel is important too, so he will be lobbying for the Jets to keep more of his best special teamers when the team is deciding on final cuts this time around.
The standards required by Boyer should be high with special teams inevitably going to make the difference in at least a couple of games. This will be more important than ever with the Jets hoping to be in contention all year.
