New York Jets training camp of 2018 will bring incredible position battles to the table especially one big one in particular.
Working within the team set or breaking off into positionals, it matters very little. Every football employee on all 32 National Football League franchises abides by the same universal code.
Love, root on and protect your teammates, yet look to bash their faces in during the late July days leading into August for money and professional careers are firmly on the line. Though the Charmin-soft nature of today has taken away certain nastiness guarantees such as two-a-days and grueling, hard-hitting practices in 98-degree weather, no sport could possibly match the “in-team” competitiveness football brings to the table.
Teammates are literally the enemy until that 53-man roster is finalized. In Florham Park, New Jersey, the New York Jets are no exception.
The following is the top position battles to look forward to at Jets camp with one exception: the battle we wish existed.
The Battle We Wish Existed: LT, LG, RG, RT
That’s right. All four starters (other than center) along that offensive line should be at least feeling a little bit of heat coming from behind. It’s simply not the case. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a weaker O-line in NFL history in which so many starting spots were guaranteed prior to training camp.
Travis Swanson represents the only legit backup O-lineman on the squad and he’s a center. This means he’s behind Spencer Long, the newcomer to the group. He can also play guard (which could put a little heat on James Carpenter and Brian Winters), but won’t be enough.
At tackle, forget about it. There just isn’t any competition for Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell and it’s unfortunate due to the competitive nature of this NFL unit as a whole. O-linemen thrive within a competitive environment.
Pro Football Focus’s overall ranking of 31 for this Jets O-line is pretty much where they should begin the year. Mega talent was needed to fix the unit. Not patchwork. The Dave Gettleman approach (in snagging Nate Solder and Will Hernandez) was the essential move this past offseason to ensure the team is properly built from the trenches out.
The Jets greatest hope is that Long in favor of Wesley Johnson makes a world of difference and the unit, in unison, plays far better together than the talent of each of its parts.
No. 2, 3, 4 & 5 Wide Receivers
We know who the No. 1 guy is. Robby Anderson as one of the wide weapons represents something so precious every offensive coordinator would relent a pinky finger for (9-route speed). When the defense is in a single-high look (Cover 3, Cover 1), Anderson’s streak-nastiness is too dangerous to not have the free safety shade to his side.
After Mr. Anderson, we know very little.
Jermaine Kearse, Quincy Enunwa, Terrelle Pryor, Chad Hansen and ArDarius Stewart are all locked in a battle for the No. 2 through 6 spots on the depth chart. Though there aren’t any All-Pro studs, the depth of this unit works incredibly in the favor of Jeremy Bates.
WR Prediction:
- Robby Anderson
- Quincy Enunwa
- Jermaine Kearse
- Chad Hansen
- Terrelle Pryor
- ArDarius Stewart
Listen, Quincy Enunwa is just too damn good not to start as one of the two. Mix in Jermaine Kearse and the top three should look like the above. Chad Hansen, however, will be pushing all three guys the entire summer.
Look for a huge drop-off in between four and five, Hansen and Terrelle Pryor as the former quarterback doesn’t have to be a regular wide receiver depth chart representative to impact the game. He can be used as more of a specialized weapon.
Running Back Rotation
Forget “starting running back.” That’s silly. The New York Jets don’t employ a Le’Veon Bell or Saquon Barkley, thus, there’s no such thing as a “starting running back” on the chart.
Instead, three individuals—Isaiah Crowell, Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire—are batting for two big-time playing-time spots and the third.
Prediction:
- Elijah McGuire
- Isaiah Crowell
- Bilal Powell
All three are going to play, folks. Sprinkle in rookie Trenton Cannon and suddenly, four in the backfield will have to be kept come September.
Should Cannon overly impress, perhaps Powell could be in trouble. At the same time, an NFL team could never possess enough firepower in the backfield.
The real shining prediction here is that Elijah McGuire takes off. He’ll represent that 800-1,000-yard back who can do it both on the ground and through the air. Crowell will play the thunder role while Powell takes that third-string seat.
No. 1, 2, 3, 4 Edge Spots
Will the next New York Jets true edge pass rusher please show yourself?
No. Nobody will show himself and it won’t happen this year, either. Mike Maccagnan had plenty of chances to draft a lottery ticket along the edge this offseason (hello Josh Sweat in the fourth round), but chose to stay away yet again. This means the same faces will be battling for the same spots.
Prediction:
- Jordan Jenkins
- Courtney Upshaw
- Dylan Donahue
- David Bass
- Lorenzo Mauldin
Lorenzo Mauldin may even find himself cut by the time 53 is announced. The kid just cannot stay healthy.
Elsewhere, Jordan Jenkins remains in the top spot by default. While his overall athleticism and pass-rushing attributes are rough to think about, he’s an excellent 3-4 base edge man against the rush. Jenkins starts but two others can be inserted during sub-packages.
By the way, the idea that Jenkins and Darron Lee could swap positions might be the most ludicrous thing written this century. There is no “hidden” edge gem on the roster. In fact, the most talented pass rusher may be Jamal Adams.
Jenkins’ perceived elite pass-coverage skills are only that way due to his position at the edge. If he was forced to play the inside, he’d be destroyed in all facets due to his poor athleticism. Playing the flat versus the hook-to-curl and middle of the two-deep are two very different responsibilities. Consequently, the undersized Lee would also find himself manhandled as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Why Lee works in the middle is due to that sideline-to-sideline speed that’s so valuable.
Jenkins will start with Courtney Upshaw in the base and those two can mix and match with Dylan Donahue, David Bass and possibly Lorenzo Mauldin when it’s time for nickel and dime. Donahue still represents the most upside of all the players here.
Nobody wins this battle. All players are slotted in by default.
No. 3 Interior Defensive Lineman
Leonard Williams is the top interior defensive lineman. Steve McLendon, though he’s the nose tackle, is No. 2.
The Jets need a third man to step up.
Third-round selection Nathan Shepherd is the odds-on favorite, but he’ll have to take out newcomer Henry Anderson and fellow rookie Folorunso Fatukasi.
Prediction:
- Leonard Williams (DE)
- Steve McLendon (NT)
- Nathan Shepherd (DE)
- Henry Anderson (DE)
- Folorunso Fatukasi (NT)
- Xavier Cooper (DE)
It has to be Shepherd. More importantly, it has to Shepherd so Leonard Williams can find himself a little more wiggle room when rushing the passer (as we know help isn’t coming from the outside).
No. 1, 2 & 3 Tight End
Much like O-line and the edge, the tight end spot remains bare and questionable. Unlike the first two, the Jets continue to add talent to the mix.
Prediction:
- Chris Herndon
- Clive Walford
- Eric Tomlinson
- Jordan Leggett
It may be tough to keep four tight ends, but they’ll want to keep Eric Tomlinson on the roster due to his blocking prowess. With Quincy Enunwa most likely playing the Y in multiple WR sets, the Jets tight end spot could become defunct again during certain passing sets.
In the base and goalline, however, they need somebody to step up and we have Chris Herndon getting it done. The No. 2 man will be Clive Walford with Tomlinson kept as the blocking specialist.
As crazy as it sounds, Jordan Leggett could be on the outside looking in.
No. 1, 2 & 3 Quarterback
And here … we … go. The position you’ve been waiting for.
Prediction:
- Sam Darnold
- Josh McCown
- Teddy Bridgewater
Sam Darnold is, by far, the most talented quarterback on the roster. Shortly after the draft, I stated it’ll be Sam come Week 1. Only positives have supported that since rookie camp and OTAs have come and gone.
Talent this great cannot be beaten unless the franchise intentionally holds him back.
The dark horse of the three is Teddy Bridgewater. I think it’s far-fetched to believe he’d start. The franchise is now Darnold’s. So either Darnold or the veteran in Josh McCown will get Week 1 (barring unexpected events). If Bridgewater impresses during camp and in the preseason, look for Maccagnan to use the Louisville product as ammo to add on a pick or two in next year’s draft.