Early New York Jets 53-Man Roster Projection
An early look at the possible 2024 New York Jets Week 1 roster
The offseason program for the 2024 New York Jets is officially in the rearview mirror. Now, roughly 40 days await before training camp kicks off.
Today, we’ll take an early glance at who may wind up on the Jets 53-man roster when they head to San Francisco to play the 49ers on September 9th.
Quarterback (3)
Aaron Rodgers
Tyrod Taylor
Jordan Travis
All self-explanatory here. Rodgers and Taylor provide the Jets with a wealth of experience and one of the better starter-backup duos at the position in the league. The only real question here is Travis’ injury status. He suffered a leg injury last season that held him out of the offseason program. If he is not fully-healthy by Week 1, he would begin the season on some sort of injured reserved list which would open up a roster spot elsewhere. But for now, it’s too early to say.
Running Back (4)
Breece Hall
Braelon Allen
Isaiah Davis
Israel Abanikanda
The polarizing one here is Abanikanda. Since Allen and Davis were selected in the fourth and fifth-rounds of the draft, some have speculated Abanikanda could be on the way out. But, for now, I think he ultimately sticks. He is still incredibly young (turns 22 in October) and has home-run-hitting speed. Lastly, with the unquestioned leader in this backfield, Hall, a possible monumental season looks to be on the horizon.
Wide Receiver (6)
Garrett Wilson
Mike Williams
Malachi Corley
Allen Lazard
Xavier Gipson
Jason Brownlee
I counted Irv Charles as a special teamer. Some great news came from Williams who met with the media this week. Coming off a torn ACL, he said he should be ready for the start of the season. The other big addition to this group is the exciting rookie, Corley. Lazard, Gipson, and Brownlee are all entering their second years with the Jets and round this group out. Similar to Hall, Wilson looks to be in for a prime third year with a healthy Rodgers.
Tight End (3)
Tyler Conklin
Jeremy Ruckert
Kenny Yeboah
Hopefully, this is the year we finally get to see more of Ruckert. The potential is there for him and Conklin to form a nice duo. Yeboah has been with the Jets for four years now and garnered some buzz during the offseason program.
Offensive Line (9)
Tyron Smith
John Simpson
Joe Tippmann
Alijah Vera-Tucker
Morgan Moses
Olu Fashanu
Wes Schweitzer
Carter Warren
Max Mitchell
You could say receiver, but I think most would be inclined to say that this is the Jets’ most improved position group. Adding Smith, Moses, and Fashanu in the offseason to be the top three tackles is a dream scenario that came true. A healthy Vera-Tucker makes a huge difference. Tippmann had a terrific rookie year and should only improve. Schweitzer is the interior backup. Former fourth-round picks Warren and Mitchell round out the tackle position.
Defensive End (4)
Jermaine Johnson
Haason Reddick
Will McDonald IV
Micheal Clemons
One of the Jets’ few concerns from the offseason program was Reddick’s well-documented contract-related absence. Whether he has a pay raise, extension, or not, come training camp, he should be there. Johnson is coming off a breakout Pro Bowl year and hopefully, McDonald is on that same trajectory heading into his second year. Clemons provides the depth.
Defensive Tackle (5)
Quinnen Williams
Javon Kinlaw
Solomon Thomas
Leki Fotu
Leonard Taylor
Probably the biggest surprise in this entire prediction is the undrafted rookie, Taylor. But I think the talent is there for him to come in and make a name for himself. Kinlaw is likely the Jets’ biggest X-Factor entering the 2024 season. If he can play up to his potential, he’s a great addition. But, his career up until this point is a disappointment. Fotu was signed in free agency to help against the run. Thomas returns for a third season to provide quality depth. One of the longest-tenured Jets now, Williams, will have yet another dominant year.
Linebacker (5)
C.J. Mosley
Quincy Williams
Jamien Sherwood
Chazz Surratt
Zaire Barnes
Mosley and Williams now enter their fourth year together leading the middle of the Jets’ defense. Strong depth is provided by Sherwood, who can hopefully be on the field a bit more this year. Surratt played a ton on special teams for the Jets last season. Now, in his second year, hopefully, Barnes develops as he does possess the athletic ability.
Cornerback (6)
Sauce Gardner
DJ Reed
Michael Carter II
Brandin Echols
Qwan’tez Stiggers
Jarrick Bernard-Converse
Gardner, Reed, and Carter provide the Jets with the best cornerback trio in the NFL. Entering their third year together, they should only keep on shutting down opposing passing games. Echols gives the Jets outside and slot corner flexibility as well as versatility on special teams. Stiggers made an immediate impact during the offseason program. He is an intriguing rookie with potential and athleticism. Similar to Zaire Barnes, Bernard-Converse is a 2023 late-round selection with athletic ability who hopefully develops. Bernard-Converse has had a healthy offseason this year, unlike last year.
Safety (4)
Tony Adams
Chuck Clark
Ashtyn Davis
Isaiah Oliver
Adams could be the next Jet to take a huge leap in his development. Now, as a second-year starter, he should benefit from the experience gained and simply allow his athletic ability to take over. Clark could be the consistent strong safety that this elite secondary needs to be complete. Davis carved out a nice role for himself in 2023 as a big-nickel. Hopefully, we see continued growth in his fifth year with the Jets. The only new veteran addition to this defensive backfield in the offseason was Oliver. He was a corner that the Jets will move to safety, so he will be worth watching throughout training camp.
Special Teams (4)
Greg Zuerlein
Thomas Morstead
Thomas Hennessy
Irv Charles
As noted earlier, Charles will now be the Jets’ new leader on punt coverage, where he showed immense promise in 2023. He has a great combination of size and speed. Zuerlein, Morstead, and Hennessy are all proven veterans. Zuerlein and Morstead both signed two-year extensions in the offseason. Hennessy, the longest-tenured Jet, is now in his eighth year with the team as the long snapper.
Some others I wanted to mention
Tarik Cohen, RB/KR
Nick Bawden, FB
Tyler Harrell, WR
Zack Kuntz, TE
Brady Latham, OG
Jake Hanson, OG/C
Eric Watts, DL
Braiden McGregor, DL
Jaylen Key, S
The one here I’m most excited to watch this summer is Harrell. The rookie signed with the Jets after the draft. He has some elite speed and deep-threat ability that I think the Jets could use at receiver.
All three defensive players, Watts, McGregor, and Key are rookies. I think they’ve all got a shot to make the 53.
These nine mentioned are just a handful of players that could be vying for roster spots come late August.