New York Jets 2025 Broad Receiver Preview: Garrett Wilson Is Wonderful; Is Anyone Else Sufficient?
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn listed huge receiver as one of many positions he values most in the course of the 2025 offseason. Primarily based on the Jets’ roster development, it looks like he was telling the reality. Broad receivers account for nearly 15 % of the gamers on the Jets roster as we approaching coaching camp. There isn’t a query in regards to the amount. The true query is the standard.
The Go To Man
Garrett Wilson
There most likely aren’t sufficient superlatives to explain how good Garrett Wilson has been with the Jets via his first three seasons. Regardless of lots of dropping and lots of dangerous quarterback play, Wilson has persistently produced at a excessive stage. He’s one in every of solely eight huge receivers within the rookie wage scale period to start out his profession with three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons.
Wilson shall be an important huge receiver for the Jets in 2025, primarily as a result of he’s the one confirmed cross catcher. Garrett’s expertise can also be a little bit of a burden in some methods. The Jets might want to lean on him. It will not be a shock to see him end within the high 5 within the NFL in targets. There shall be fairly a little bit of stress on him to supply with these targets. The Jets can’t afford for him to have an off day.
If Ja’Marr Chase has a tough recreation in Cincinnati Tee Higgins can step up, and the Bengals can nonetheless transfer the ball. If AJ Brown has a tough recreation in Philadelphia Devonta Smith can step up, and the Eagles can nonetheless transfer the ball. If Garrett Wilson has a tough recreation, the Jets may have a problem transferring the ball. Sadly this has been the case via Garrett’s profession, save the final three quarters of 2024 when he was paired with Davante Adams.
This units the usual impossibly excessive for Garrett Wilson. But together with his efficient route working, he finds a solution to ship far as a rule. Defenses can give attention to him, however he’ll nonetheless work out methods to get open and produce. One of many greatest exams of latest offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand shall be to make life as straightforward as doable for Garrett, determining methods to deploy him inside formations to get free releases and simpler cornerback matchup.
It doesn’t matter what, you’ll be able to just about pencil in Garrett Wilson for over 1,000 yards if he stays wholesome.
Veterans Whose Solidness Might Differ
Josh Reynolds
Allen Lazard
Tyler Johnson
It appears to me that each time a participant lasts a couple of years within the NFL he begins to get the label “strong veteran” whether or not or not it’s correct.
The Jets have three veterans of their huge receiver room whose play has sometimes been strong via their respective careers however has extra ceaselessly been underwhelming.
On the high of the listing is free agent addition Josh Reynolds. On the absolute peak of his profession, Reynolds has been a borderline viable second choice in a passing assault. He posted a 600 yard season for the Lions in 2023 and was on tempo for one more for Denver final 12 months via the primary six video games in 2024 earlier than he was horrifically the sufferer of a capturing in October. Denver waived Reynolds in December. He caught on with Jacksonville and caught 1 cross for 11 yards in 4 video games.
If Reynolds may produce 600 yards, I feel the Jets would most likely join that. Nonetheless, his profession averages per 17 video games spherical out at 34 catches, 458 yards, and three touchdowns, and he simply hit the magic 30 12 months previous threshold. Reynolds performed in Detroit from 2021 to 2023 the place offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was a part of the offensive teaching employees. It will be one factor for the Jets to deliver him in to assist set up the offense as an extension of the teaching employees offering nuanced tips on the system to teammates. Possibly the Jets may really feel assured in the event that they solely wanted to squeeze third or fourth choice stage manufacturing out of him. It’s a special matter to anticipate him to supply on the stage the Jets want from Garrett Wilson’s sidekick.
But when Reynolds is a big query mark, the veteran choices behind him are completely uninspiring. Allen Lazard is about to return for a 3rd Jets season after agreeing to an enormous paycut. The rationale he needed to take that paycut is straightforward. He supplied the Jets with a few of the worst worth of any free agent signing in latest reminiscence. He’s primarily an enormous receiver who performs like a small receiver, seldom imposing his will on undersized defenders. As an alternative he will get pushed round and is weak on contested catches. The performs he makes are largely the kind any practical NFL huge receiver would make, and Lazard provides in a few of the worst timed drops you may think about.
The one plus Lazard has is his willingness to dam. The precise outcomes of his blocking are inconsistent, however he reveals perspective when he latches onto a defender. (Mysterious contemplating how simply he’s pushed round working routes.) There are even moments the place he reveals a capability to dam a defensive lineman one on one. On an offense that figures to be run first and on a roster with a scarcity of high quality tight ends, Lazard’s willingness to do the soiled work and clear a path for runners may very well be the most important worth he gives.
The Jets additionally added veteran huge receiver Tyler Johnson this offseason. I’ve to confess I used to be intrigued by Johnson as a late spherical sleeper when he entered the 2020 NFL Draft, however he has but to point out he has the flexibility to be something greater than a depth participant within the NFL. Johnson will flip 27 subsequent month. He doesn’t also have a 400 yard NFL season to his identify, and he hasn’t performed particular groups in 4 years. I’m probably not positive what the Jets noticed in him once they made this signing, however it’s powerful to anticipate a lot.
The New Rookie Hope
Arian Smith
Should you comply with the NFL lengthy sufficient, you be taught that it’s conceivable for any drafted participant to have success and for any drafted participant to fail. It doesn’t matter how excessive or how low you have been chosen.
The method of drafting is absolutely simply making educated guesses weighing a prospects inexperienced flags and purple flags. The upper the proportion of inexperienced flags, the upper a participant is chosen within the NFL Draft.
With that in thoughts, I used to be very shocked to see the Jets choose Arian Smith within the fourth spherical. It actually felt to me just like the inexperienced/purple ratio was out of line to choose a participant so excessive.
Smith’s predominant inexperienced flag is apparent, his velocity. I may inform you about his 4.36 time within the 40 yard sprint on the Mix, however simply watching him play makes it clear he’s a burner. The Jets will possible look to take advantage of that velocity by manufacturing offensive touches for him in house on day one.
I noticed extra issues to be involved about, nonetheless. Smith had just about no manufacturing at Georgia till his ultimate 12 months when he turned 23 in season and was bodily extra mature than many of the opposition.
As we all know, velocity helps. Nevertheless, velocity alone doesn’t make receiver or perhaps a good deep risk. I wouldn’t say Smith is a horrible route runner. In actual fact, Georgia’s offense offers its receivers a fuller route tree than lots of faculty techniques. You probably did sometimes see Smith create separation by doing a little nuanced issues on his routes. It was simply inconsistently so. Smith flashed the flexibility to shake a defender by altering the tempo of his velocity inside a route or promote a pretend in his stem, however it occurred much less ceaselessly than I wish to see for a prospect who’s already approaching his mid 20s.
Then there’s additionally the problem of drops. Smith’s drop charge via his faculty profession was within the stratosphere.
This appears like a really black and white state of affairs for the Jets. I’d surmise that they consider they will coach consistency into Smith’s approach in a short time. If they will, his velocity may flip him into a top quality receiving risk and a headache for different defenses.
Each entrance workplace and training employees is satisfied they will repair the failings in bodily gifted prospects. Few find yourself being proper. These are typically the great entrance places of work and training staffs. Smith shall be an early take a look at of how successfully Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey are at focusing on the suitable sort of participant and serving to him overcome his flaws. If they will, will probably be a wonderful early signal for the brand new regime. Smith will even be primed to contribute instantly, given the dearth of confirmed gamers blocking his path to taking part in time.
The Previous Regime’s Tasks
Xavier Gipson
Malachi Corley
An NFL participant can maintain a roster spot for years with out producing so long as the individuals in control of the crew thinks he has potential. Each entrance workplace and training employees has its personal venture gamers.
When a brand new regime is available in all of the sudden these venture gamers want to start out performing, or will probably be time to ship out. The brand new leaders may have their very own initiatives.
Xavier Gipson will all the time have a spot in Jets lore. His walkoff additional time punt return for a landing capped off one of many crew’s most memorable wins in latest reminiscence. It ended a wild 2023 opener towards the Buffalo Payments the place the Jets shook off Aaron Rodgers’ devastating Achilles harm and a fourth quarter deficit to register a victory. The actual fact an undrafted free agent like Gipson made it via two NFL seasons is one thing that must be celebrated. Few gamers together with his pedigree make it up to now.
Nonetheless, that Week 1 return from two years in the past stays of the few highlights of Gipson’s Jets profession. He hasn’t proven a lot progress as a returner or a receiver, regardless of receiving loads of alternatives. If he doesn’t present main development in his third coaching camp, his Jets profession may very well be ending.
The identical may also be true of Malachi Corley, the crew’s third spherical choose from a 12 months in the past. The Jets reportedly began making an attempt to commerce up early within the second spherical to take Corley. They have been ultimately in a position to work out a deal to maneuver as much as the highest choose of the third spherical to snag him.
That was beneath a special GM and totally different head coach, thought. Corley was a complete nonfactor his rookie season. I not too long ago wrote about how stacked the chances are towards a participant who produces as little as Corley in 12 months one.
The “why” is simply as essential to debate, although. Corley’s rookie season was so invisible as a result of he’s nonetheless studying probably the most primary ingredient of taking part in huge receiver, working routes. He was moved to huge receiver in faculty, however over half of his catches got here on screens. He was given the nickname “The YAC King” due to the proportion of his receiving yards got here after the catch. Nevertheless, it was a little bit of a rooster or egg state of affairs. Naturally a receiver who catches most of his passes on the line of scrimmage goes to have a excessive proportion of YAC yards.
To succeed on the NFL stage, a receiver must beat protection to get open. It is a new idea for Corley, who spent the majority of his faculty profession working with the ball in his fingers. Even when he ran routes at Western Kentucky, his tree was fairly restricted. For all intents and functions, he’s ranging from scratch making an attempt to be taught the fundamentals whereas additionally taking part in soccer at its highest stage. Let’s simply say his faculty coaches didn’t do him any favors if the objective was to assist him succeed within the NFL. If the Jets hadn’t picked two working backs in the identical Draft class, I’d say one of the best factor for Corley can be to maneuver to working again the place he can be taking part in a task he’s conversant in, making an attempt to make one thing occur with the ball in his fingers.
I don’t wish to utterly hand over on a participant after 12 months one, however it is very important perceive how large of a problem Corley faces making an attempt to develop within the NFL. The extra time goes by, the extra I ponder whether Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh simply bought overly excited watching Corley run over small college defensive backs on movie and uncared for the fundamentals of the huge receiver place of their scouting evaluations.
The Roster Hopefuls
Dymere Miller
Jamaal Pritchett
Quentin Skinner
Brandon Smith
Ontaria Wilson
It is a group of undrafted first and second 12 months gamers hoping to carve out a task on the roster. Their almost definitely path shall be convincing the teaching employees that they will contribute on particular groups.
That stated if any of those guys flashes potential at huge receiver, there’s a risk of incomes taking part in time. The Jets don’t have any locks after Garrett Wilson. Fifteen undrafted rookies in professional soccer historical past have produced a 600 yard season. I’m not saying I’m predicting any of those gamers would be the sixteenth. But when any of those prospects has reliable expertise that slid beneath the radar within the scouting course of, somebody from this group is likely to be the almost definitely within the NFL to do it in 2025 given the dearth of obstacles they’ll face ascending the depth chart.
