There are 89 players on the New York Jets roster heading into the dead period of the NFL offseason. As it is with any professional roster, some players are easy locks to make the team, those that are on the bubble, and those that are considered long-shots to make the team in 2023.
For New York, thanks to their draft and offseason success, there is far more familiarity with those making the roster, and those fighting for a spot.
So which of the 89 are safely heading into the new season, and which ones are going to be fighting for their future football lives once training camp begins?
Let’s break that down here.
Locks to make Jets 53-man roster (42): Sauce Gardner, Zach Wilson, Jordan Whitehead, DJ Reed, Thomas Morstead, Aaron Rodgers, Greg Zeurlein, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Chuck Clark, Israel Abanikanda, Michael Carter II, Michael Carter, Bryce Hall, Jamien Sherwood, Jermaine Johnson, Billy Turner, Quincy Williams, CJ Mosley, Carl Lawson, Max Mitchell, Joe Tippmann, Carter Warren, Wes Schweitzer, Michael Clemons, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Duane Brown, Mekhi Becton, Laken Tomlinson, Tyler Conklin, Corey Davis, CJ Uzomah, Jeremy Ruckert, John Franklin-Myers, Quinnen Williams, Solomon Thomas, Al Woods, Will McDonald IV, Thomas Hennessy
There won’t be a ton of hard decisions for Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas to make when they cut their roster to 53 players. As of mid-June, the team has 42 locks to make the opening day roster, Most of this total is both on the offensive and defensive lines, while depth at key positions was also considered.
The difficult assessment falls at the receiver position. Both Mecole Hardman and Denzel Mims have been left off this list in favor of Randall Cobb. Why is that? Because with Aaron Rodgers locked in as the team’s franchise quarterback, keeping him happy is a prime objective for the Jets in 2023. So long as Rodgers is on the team, Cobb will have a place on the roster.
On a final note, while both Tyler Conklin and CJ Uzomah are listed as locks to make the team, it would not surprise me if one became a salary cap casualty during camp to make room for Jeremy Ruckert who has dominated workouts during the offseason.
Players on Roser Bubble (18): Mecole Hardman Jr., Tim Boyle, Denzel Mims, Jason Brownlee, Ashtyn Davis, Tony Adams, Brandin Echols, Zonovan Knight, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Justin Hardee, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Connor McGovern, Trystan Colon, Greg Senat, Tanzel Smart, Xavier Gibson, Quinton Jefferson, Zaire Barnes
Quinton Jefferson, Connor McGovern, and Mecole Hardman all signed free-agent deals with the Jets this offseason but that doesn’t guarantee them a roster spot. All three will have to prove they are worthy of being on the final 53 as well as earning playing time.
Safeties Ashtyn Davis and Tony Adams could easily be seen as locks going into camp, however, if the team were to bring in a veteran safety to sure up the position, neither would be considered a lock anymore.
Young players like Zaire Barnes, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, and Zonovan Knight will also need to step up to be on the final 53-man roster for the Jets.
Long-shots to make Roster (29): Diontae Spencer, Chris Streveler, Irvin Charles, Craig James, Jimmy Moreland, Marquis Waters, Travis Dye, Derek Langford, Trey Dean, Javelin Guidry, Claude Cherelus, Izaiah Gathings, Caleb Johnson, Maalik Hall, Bryce Huff, Nick Bawden, EJ Jenkins, Bradley Anae, Marquis Spencer, Adam Pankey, Brent Liang, Chris Giaser, Eric Smith, Zack Kuntz, TJ Luther, Malik Taylor, Kenny Yeboah, Isaiah Mack, Deslin Alexandre
Any surprises here? Irvin Charles, Diontae Spencer, and Zack Kuntz all had their moments during OTAs but the depth at their positions makes them long-shots going into camp. Speaking of depth, with Will McDonald in the fold, it’s hard to see edge rushers like Huff, and Anae get one of the final spots on the defensive line.
If you combine the bubble players and locks, there are 60 spots already on the roster. That means it’ll be very hard for any of the long-shots to step up in a way that guarantees them a spot on the Jets 2023 roster.
Jets fans, what do you think? Who do you think is on the bubble that should be a lock, or vice versa? Let us know!
