Jets roster battles to watch as OTAs begin, with an eye on the wide receivers (2024)

The New York Jets take the field Monday for organized team activities (OTAs), a voluntary period of practice sessions that runs throughout the next month before a mandatory minicamp June 11-13.

This time of the year is meant to be low stress, more designed for install, team chemistry building and incorporating new players and coaches into the flow of things. It’s voluntary, but the Jets have had high-level attendance from key veterans in recent years, especially last spring, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers stuck around.

It’s unclear how involved he’ll be with OTAs this year, though he is expected to partake in some fashion as he returns from a torn Achilles.

Ideally, the Jets avoid injuries at these workouts. Last year, safety Chuck Clark suffered a torn ACL in practice and it cost him the season. He’s back now and is expected to start at safety.

Jobs aren’t won or lost this time of year, but players who do show up can certainly help their chances of making the team or playing a specific role — especially those at the bottom of the roster, fighting for jobs.

Here’s an early look at some of the more interesting roster battles at OTAs. Media will be in attendance Tuesday.

Slot receiver

The contenders: Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson.

The Jets attempted to trade up as high as the middle of the second round to draft Corley and still wound up moving up to get him at the top of the third round. It would be a massive upset if he’s not the primary slot receiver right away — but not all rookies, especially at wide receiver, are ready to make an impact right away.

That’s not to say Corley falls into that category (he’s made of the right stuff and has the skills to make an instant impact), but the Jets coaching staff is extremely high on Gipson. He showed some flashes as an undrafted rookie last year, even if that amounted to only 297 scrimmage yards and one touchdown.

Backup running back

The contenders: Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis, Israel Abanikanda, Nick Bawden.

The Jets drafted two running backs in Allen (fourth round) and Davis (fifth round), which should lock them both into roster spots. Allen should step in right away as the primary backup to Breece Hall, especially as a short yardage back and for his skills in pass protection. None of this bodes well for Abanikanda, a sixth-round pick last year whom coaches didn’t trust enough to play until late last season. Bawden, a fullback, factors into the equation because the Jets are unlikely to keep five running backs on the 53-man roster (counting Hall). Abanikanda at least brings a different flavor than Allen and Davis with his speed and elusiveness. The spring will be crucial for him.

Backup wide receiver

The contenders: Irv Charles, Jason Brownlee, Tyler Harrell, Marcus Riley.

Five receivers feel like safe bets to make the roster: Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, Corley, Gipson and Allen Lazard. Charles is right there, too, because of his skills as a gunner on special teams, while the coaching staff has gone out of its way to praise Brownlee (56 yards, one touchdown in 2023) all offseason. Harrell and Riley are undrafted rookies who showed some flashes in rookie camp.

The question is how many receivers the team will be willing to keep heading into the season, though some of that might depend on Williams’ health. The free-agent addition is coming off ACL surgery and isn’t expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

No. 3 tight end

The contenders: Kenny Yeboah, Zack Kuntz.

The Jets didn’t wind up adding any tight ends in the draft, despite all the noise about interest in Brock Bowers. So they’ll role with Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert, the 2022 third-round pick who should be ready to take a leap into a bigger role. Yeboah is beloved by the coaching staff and has a role on special teams, while Kuntz has all the physical and athletic tools but didn’t stand out in training camp last year. He got a lot of time on the scout team playing with Rodgers at the end of last season, which can’t hurt his cause.

Backup offensive linemen

The contenders: Max Mitchell, Jake Hanson, Xavier Newman, Brady Latham, Chris Glaser, Austin Deculus.

These are the offensive linemen who should be viewed as roster locks right now: Tyron Smith, Olu Fashanu, Morgan Moses, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Joe Tippmann, John Simpson, Wes Schweitzer and Carter Warren. Mitchell (12 starts in two years) is probably closer to safe than on the bubble as long as he doesn’t have a bad camp, especially since he can play both guard and tackle.

If Mitchell makes the 53, that already puts the Jets at nine offensive linemen. Would Joe Douglas keep 10? That can’t be ruled out. Hanson (four starts in 2023) would be the top contender for the 10th spot. He showed some flashes filling in at guard late last season.

Backup defensive linemen

The contenders: DT Leonard Taylor III, DL Eric Watts, DE Braiden McGregor, DE Jalyn Holmes, DT Tanzel Smart.

There has been some roster shuffling on the defensive line with the additions of Haason Reddick, Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu, with Bryce Huff, John Franklin-Myers and Quinton Jefferson on the way out. Reddick and Jermaine Johnson will start at defensive end, with Kinlaw next to Quinnen Williams at defensive tackle. Fotu and Solomon Thomas are the backups inside, with 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald and Micheal Clemons the top backups at defensive end.

That is eight defensive linemen and the Jets like to rotate their defensive linemen, so I’d expect one to two more on the 53.

Taylor was one of the highest-rated prospects to go undrafted this year. The former University of Miami defensive tackle will get a real shot to push Smart for a backup defensive tackle job if the Jets keep a fifth. Watts wasn’t far behind Taylor and he has an intriguing package as a potential developmental prospect in the Franklin-Myers mold, a defensive end who can shuffle inside. Holmes (39 career games played) has the experience advantage over everyone else.

Backup linebackers

The contenders: Chazz Surratt, Zaire Barnes, Sam Eguavoen, Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Jackson Sirmon, Jimmy Ciarlo.

The Jets really only play two linebackers on defense (Quincy Williams and C.J. Mosley), with Jamien Sherwood occasionally joining them. The other linebackers primarily play a role on special teams. Robert Saleh is a big fan of Surratt, Eguavoen spent most of last season on the active roster and Barnes was a sixth-round pick last year. Sirmon is one of the more intriguing undrafted rookies the Jets signed. Surratt should be viewed as the favorite if they kept only four linebackers.

No. 4 safety

The contenders: Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Jaylen Key, Jarius Monroe.

Bernard-Converse, a sixth-round pick in 2023, missed all of training camp last year with an injury and didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 11. He’s an elite athlete but didn’t play enough to seriously judge his ability. OTAs and training camp will be crucial for him, especially with the addition of Key, the Alabama alum selected with the last pick of the seventh round. Monroe is an intriguing prospect with some positional flexibility. He has the ability to push for a roster spot, too.

Tony Adams and Clark are the starters while Ashtyn Davis returns as the top backup. After that, at least one spot is up for grabs.

(Top photo of Xavier Gipson: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)

Zack Rosenblatt is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the New York Jets. Before joining The Athletic, he worked as a staff writer for The Star-Ledger, where he covered the Eagles and Giants. He also covered the Arizona Wildcats for the Arizona Daily Star. He's a graduate of the University of Arizona and is originally from Cherry Hill, N.J. Follow Zack on Twitter @ZackBlatt