Recapping Jets first unofficial depth chart ahead of Hall of Fame Game
The New York Jets play an actual football game Thursday, taking on the Cleveland Browns in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. This week, the Jets released their first unofficial depth chart. So ahead of Thursday’s game, let this serve as a quick reminder or refresher of that depth chart. Keep in mind, the key word here is “unofficial”. Plenty can, and will, change between now and September 11 when the Jets open the season against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers
Zach Wilson
No surprises here. Wilson will get a chance to develop and get extra reps as he will start Thursday’s game. Boyle has been rolling as the No. 3 and Streveler is likely practice-squad bound yet again.
Running Back
Michael Carter
Breece Hall (PUP)
With Hall on the PUP list, Carter is sitting atop the depth chart at the moment with Knight and rookie Abanikanda behind him. Dye is a potential practice squad candidate.
Fullback
The Jets have been using Bawden quite a bit during camp. Despite playing what’s considered a dying position, Bawden has a good chance to make the 53.
Wide Receiver
Mecole Hardman, Irvin Charles, Jason Brownlee
Randall Cobb, Malik Taylor, Xavier Gipson
Jerome Kapp, TJ Luther, Alex Erickson
Instead of listing the receivers 1-12, we’ll group them in threes as the depth chart lists three “starters”. It’s early, but Davis being in the top group after an offseason full of questions about his future with the team could bode well for his chances to stick around.
Offensive Line
Left tackle: Billy Turner, Mekhi Becton, Greg Senat, Duane Brown (PUP)
Left guard: Laken Tomlinson, Wes Schweitzer, Brent Laing
Center: Connor McGovern, Joe Tippmann, Trystan Colon
Right guard: Alijah Vera-Tucker, Adam Pankey, Chris Glaser
Right tackle: Max Mitchell, Yodny Cajuste, Carter Warren
One takeaway from camp so far is that McGovern looks set at center. He’s not even playing Thursday. Even more so, Schweitzer has been running as the No. 2 center, not Tippmann. All three will make the team, but perhaps we were quick to jump the gun on Tippmann starting so soon.
But the big story is obviously Becton. Despite the weight loss, Becton has yet to see much of any work with the first team. That’s been all Turner and Mitchell with Brown on the PUP list. It’s starting to look very realistic that Brown and Mitchell are the starting tackles Week 1 with Turner as the top backup. Becton could very well be on the trading block.
Defensive Line
Edge: Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Micheal Clemons, Will McDonald IV, Bryce Huff, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Deslin Alexandre
Defensive tackle: Quinnen Williams, Al Woods, Quinton Jefferson, Solomon Thomas, Isaiah Mack, Tanzel Smart, Marquiss Spencer
The Jets could end up fielding one of the deepest Edge groups in the NFL. The first six names all could play a role this season. Clemons has even been referred to as a “(expletive) monster” during camp. Pair all that with Williams (12 sacks in 2022) and a few veteran interior tackles, this defensive line could be scary.
Linebacker
Maalik Hall, Caleb Johnson, Claudin Cherelus
The Jets seem to be locked in on Sherwood. They had all the opportunities in the world to bring back Kwon Alexander and they never did. They’re confident in Sherwood to replace him next to Mosley and Williams. The question looks to be how many linebackers will the team keep. Could Barnes, Surratt and Nasirildeen be competing for one spot? Time will tell.
Cornerback
Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed
Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols
Jimmy Moreland, Craig James
Derrick Langford, Javelin Guidry, Justin Hardee
Nickel back:
Michael Carter II, Javelin Guidry
A reminder here that Echols is suspended for the first game of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. He won’t count on the 53-man roster during his suspension.
Hardee will obviously stick around as the special teams ace, so don’t read too much into him being “buried” on the depth chart. So really no changes from last year. When you have arguably the best trio of corners/slot corners, not much work needs to be done.
Safety
Jordan Whitehead, Tony Adams
Trey Dean, Marquis Waters
Dane Cruikshank, Jarrick Bernard-Converse (PUP)
The hype on Adams has continued and he’s heading toward being Whitehead’s running mate Week 1 with Amos behind them. Bernard-Converse can add versatility, but he has been on the PUP list all camp and has yet to practice. Dean is trying to make a case to crack the roster as an undrafted rookie.
Special Teams
Kicker: Greg Zuerlein
Punter: Thomas Morstead
Long snapper: Thomas Hennessy
Punt returner: Mecole Hardman, Xavier Gibson, Alex Erickson, Damarea Crockett
Kick returner: Mecole Hardman, Xavier Gibson, Alex Erickson, Damarea Crockett
One player to watch here is Gibson, who has also had a good camp thus far. If he can impress in the return game, he also has a chance to make the roster as an undrafted rookie. This will be an interesting competition to follow.
