Jets’ Newfound Depth Puts Several From Douglas’ 2020 Draft Class In Jeopardy
NewYorkJets.com
Over the years, I’ve learned not to take anything away from NFL preseason games. From the Jets’ 12-7 victory over the rival Giants on Saturday, nothing—not quarterback Zach Wilson’s solid 6-for-9 professional debut, not the defense’s 5 sacks—none of it is translatable to the regular season.
Sorry.
That also includes the highlight of the game--wide receiver Denzel Mims’ spectacular 3rd-and-18 conversion in the third quarter that set up the Jets’ lone touchdown, a four-yard La’Mical Perine run.
For while the odds are in both of those second-year players’ favor, the facts on the ground suggest that neither is guaranteed to make New York’s final 53-man roster. You see, for a change, Gang Green actually has some depth at a few positions, enough such that Mims, Perine, and a few other members of general manager Joe Douglas’ first Draft class from a year ago are in jeopardy.
Wait, what? The Jets, coming off a miserable 2-14 campaign, suddenly have depth?
It’s true that several positions (cornerback, tight end, outside linebacker) are lacking in NFL-level talent, which is why the bookmakers have the Jets’ 2021 over/under win total at 6, but you also can’t ignore the upgrades Douglas has made since taking over the job from Mike Maccagnan after the 2019 NFL Draft.
Ironically, of the seven players Douglas selected in the first four rounds (two in the third, three in the fourth) a year ago, only first-round pick Mekhi Becton has solidified his role as a starter at left tackle, with third-round pick Ashtyn Davis and fourth-round guard Cameron Clark slated for backup duty after likely starting the season on injured reserve . Douglas’ most valuable picks after Round 1 last offseason were actually his last two—cornerback Bryce Hall (fifth round) and punter Braden Mann (sixth)—and Douglas seemed to have also scored with plucking edge rusher Bryce Huff as an undrafted free agent.
Mims, a second round pick, got off to a slow start to training camp after contracting an ailment from poorly-cooked salmon during OTAs. He’s been playing catchup since, but the fact that he did not get into a preseason game until the second half spoke volumes—keep in mind that Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios, both of whom appear to be safe bets to make the team based on their reported performances in camp, did not dress. Corey Davis, Keelan Cole and Jamison Crowder seem to be entrenched as starters while offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur also chose to give reps to Vyncint Smith and Jeff Malone before Mims on Saturday. Yikes.
Per media reports, Mims has showcased his skill in practices at making contested catches on deeper straight-line forays down the field but is not what you’d call a crisp route-runner. That, in addition to the illness, put Mims behind the curve in learning the new offense. Now, Mims’ role could certainly change next week in Green Bay, but it bears watching.
Similarly, Perine, a 2020 fourth-rounder, did not get a first-half carry despite Tevin Coleman’s absence due to personal reasons, as Ty Johnson and Michael Carter split the early workload. Even if head coach Robert Saleh opts to keep four halfbacks, Perine should have a hard time convincing the staff, if they were evaluating honestly, that he’s a better fit in this new system than the swifter Josh Adams.
In defensive end Jabari Zuniga’s case, the staff shouldn’t need much of a discussion at all to come to a consensus on his status, as he is clearly lagging behind on an impressive Gang Green defensive front rotation. Zuniga, in my view at the time a third-round reach, is often injured and when he’s been healthy enough to take the field, he’s been invisible. Unless the Jets experience a rash of injuries at his position in the next few weeks, it would be a travesty if Zuniga survived the cut list.
Finally, fourth-rounder James Morgan would have to be another charity case, though this one is not because the quarterback room is loaded with talent. Morgan is in a battle with another QB who has never even thrown a regular season NFL pass (Mike White) for the right to be Wilson’s backup, and that’s only because the Jets have stubbornly refused to secure an experienced mentor via free agency or trade (not including journeyman Josh Johnson, who didn’t even get one rep in a meaningless preseason game).
How committed Douglas will be to his own picks is an open question, since it was easy for him to turn over almost all of the team’s personnel (Marcus Maye is the longest-tenured Jet, having been drafted in 2017) when they were virtually all brought in by Maccagnan. Douglas was then able to roster all of last offseason’s picks because the Jets were starving for talent at most positions.
That’s no longer the case—and you needn’t have watched the first preseason game to confirm it.