The New York Jets are almost done with their first week of training camp, and fans should be pleased with how they’ve looked to this point in the practice schedule.
The Jets have managed to stay relatively healthy, the practices have been competitive, and overall, they’ve looked the part of a team competing for a Super Bowl. As fans continue to build up their excitement, though, it’s time to open the mailbag and see what the Gang Green faithful is thinking.
Let’s get to the questions made through X this morning.
Mailbag Questions Surrounding New York Jets Training Camp
Q: Who Has Impressed Most Relative to Expectations? (Stefan Stelling)
While it’s only been two practices, there are quite a few players who have stood out in major ways, including some surprising ones.
Arguably, the most impressive player through this point relative to expectations is tackle Max Mitchell. The former fourth-round pick in 2022 has looked really solid replacing Morgan Moses on the right side of the offensive line. Will that continue once the pads come on? Time will tell, but it’s been a really good start for Mitchell.
On the defensive side, fifth-round rookie Qwan’tez Stiggers has looked excellent so far — building off an impressive offseason workout session. Former first-round pick Takk McKinley has also been solid in team drills.
You have the normal stars playing well, like Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Wilson, and Sauce Gardner, but Mitchell, Stiggers, and McKinley have been really good.
Q: How Has Jordan Travis Been Coming Along? (Ze Doggie)
Jets head coach Robert Saleh called Jordan Travis a “long-term project” after Thursday’s practice. While people may take that as a bad thing overall due to the missed reps, I think it’s important to remember the grueling injury the Florida State star suffered this past season.
Travis should be fine in his development, but it’s clear 2024 is most likely a redshirt year for him.
Q: Is Conk (Tight End Tyler Conklin) Set Up for a Big Year, or Are They Splitting Those Reps Evenly With Him and (Jeremy) Ruckert? (Key)
Tyler Conklin is the safety net for someone like Aaron Rodgers, and his spot as the team’s top tight end is unquestioned — especially when New York is in 11 personnel. Conklin is getting the most reps there to this point because of that.
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Jeremy Ruckert, unlike in past years, seems to be the immediate second TE. New York seems comfortable running their offense out of 21 personnel, so the former third-round pick should see the field considerably this season, but it just won’t be as the immediate starter unless something happens to Conklin.
Q: Does Izzy Make the Team? (Vincent J. Accardi)
Simple answer: no.
Israel Abanikanda was seen as a special-teams ace when he was drafted last season but has struggled to see the field during his rookie and now sophomore years.
Abanikanda seems to be on the outside of the roster bubble in the worst way. While New York has been rotating running backs in and out with the first team, the Pittsburgh product hasn’t been one of them.
The writing seems to be on the wall here.
Q: Why Didn’t Joe Douglas Just Franchise (Bryce) Huff or Outbid Philly for Him? (Jim D.)
There’s a couple reasons why Bryce Huff is no longer a member of the Jets. To start, I’m a firm believer that general manager Joe Douglas should’ve extended Huff after the 2022 season to get him on a team-friendly deal. They ended up choosing not to, and it’s why Huff was able to hit the open market.
Outside of not giving Huff the long-term deal he had been looking for, the Jets were never going to franchise tag him this offseason. They didn’t have the salary cap to franchise him and make the sweeping additions to both sides of the ball that they did. If they had franchise-tagged the former UDFA, Jets fans would probably have to pick between Mike Williams or Tyron Smith.
Philadelphia also entered the offseason with close to $70 million in cap space — far more money to spend as opposed to the Jets.
Q: How Has Aaron Rodgers Been Moving? He Said His Left Leg Is Stronger Than Before But Still Worried (Makoshita)
Rodgers said he feels perfectly fine but is not yet 100% in his recovery. “The last 5%,” he said, “is mental.”
There’s a level of trust that has to be built again for any player who went through a difficult injury, such as Rodgers. Don’t be surprised if it takes time for him not to be fully comfortable until he gets hit for the first time.
On the field, though, Rodgers has been superb. The four-time NFL MVP has been deadly accurate and still has the arm strength that is sure to make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Rodgers’ 50-yard touchdown throw to Garrett Wilson was a thing of beauty specifically and could be a sign of things to come.
IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL 🎯🎯🎯@AaronRodgers12 | @GarrettWilson_V pic.twitter.com/rCgtyu4Fsp
— New York Jets (@nyjets)
Q: Any Word on How Olu (Fashanu) Is Looking? (JetsNZ)
The No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has had a quiet start to his NFL journey in training camp. And that should be great news for the Jets.
The less we talk about Olu Fashanu in pass protection, the better the reward. It means that he’s not making mistakes or getting beat at the line of scrimmage.
While Fashanu was always seen as an excellent pass blocker, I’ve been impressed with how he’s looked technique-wise. He’s balanced and clearly using All-Pro tackle Smith as a source to learn from as he begins his career.
I’ve been impressed so far.
Q: The Biggest Concern Now Is the D Line. Who Besides Quinnen (Williams) Gets Pressure? (SSNY2000)
Jets fans tend to overreact to situations on a day-by-day basis. While Haason Reddick’s absence from training camp isn’t ideal, this is still a very deep group.
For starters, Quinnen Williams is an All-Pro defensive tackle. Few NFL teams have his kind of talent on their roster, and he makes other edge rushers better because he draws more attention.
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Meanwhile, Jermaine Johnson had 7.5 sacks last season in limited overall action. Those are solid numbers for a second-year player.
The trio of Johnson, Will McDonald IV, and even McKinley is perfectly acceptable once Reddick shows up with his deal.
Q: Since Most Position Groups Seem Fairly Set, How’s the Battle Going With the Safeties? Does It Seem Like Any Guys Are Standing Out for the Starting Roles? (ThisIsMattyP)
Great question from MattyP. Objectively speaking, the safety room is arguably the biggest question mark on the roster. Chuck Clark (coming off an ACL injury), Tony Adams, and Ashtyn Davis are all serviceable but not truly dominant players.
That being said, the starters seem to safely be Clark and Adams at this point, with Davis coming in from time to time.
This is a group that can surprise people, especially if Clark is anywhere close to the 100-tackle player he was in Baltimore.
Q: Please List the 10 Best OL Men From 1-10. Thanks! (Peter LaFontaine)
Great question here from Peter. While it’s important to remember that the pads haven’t been put on, and the list is subject to change once we see more physicality in practice, here’s how I would currently rank New York’s 10 best offensive linemen.
1. Tyron Smith
2. Alijah Vera-Tucker
3. Morgan Moses
4. Joe Tippmann
5. Max Mitchell
6. John Simpson
7. Olu Fashanu
8. Wes Schweitzer
9. Chris Glaser
10. Carter Warren
The only reason why Tippmann is behind Moses at this point is because of Moses’ veteran leadership and consistent play over his career. Outside of that, though, this list is pretty set for the next few practices.
