While there are Jets who may have sealed their fate — both good and bad — in the preseason opener, there are still a handful of players who we did not see much of.
These players are either fighting for a roster spot or have a chance to climb the depth chart with a good showing. For examples, wide receivers like Tim White and Deonte Thompson were unable to make their presences felt, combining for just one catch. Players like these have an opportunity to bounce back from a disappointing showing, but they need to do so right away.
With that said, let’s take a look at four Jets that need to show more in the team’s second preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
TE Trevon Wesco
Jets starting TE Chris Herndon is suspended for the first four games of the 2019 regular season, which means New York’s other tight ends can climb the depth chart.
Rookie Trevon Wesco had a chance to impress on Thursday, but he only played eight snaps, just one more than Herndon. While the coaches decide how many snaps the rookie out of West Virginia plays, he has to make the best of the situation he is in. Wesco failed to make an impact in the run game and did not record a catch on Thursday.
Daniel Brown is injured and Eric Tomlinson and Ryan Griffin have not stood out, so the opportunity to fill a void is for the taking. For Wesco to have a chance of replacing Herndon on the depth chart — or at least move up it — he needs to make an impact and appear in the boxscore against the Falcons.
WR Deonte Thompson
Deonte Thompson is a veteran who knows Adam Gase’s system quite well.
While it seems Thompson will be the odd-man out when cut day comes around, he’s an intriguing option due to the youth in the wide receiver room. As a veteran running with the second-team, Thompson saw 31 snaps on Thursday, which accounted for 44 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Yet, he only had one catch for 12 yards.
With a couple more successful showings, Thompson could make noise the way that Charles Johnson did in 2018. With Gang Green likely to keep seven wideouts, he has a chance of sticking around.
CB Mark Myers
Mark Myers is not a household name, but he could become one due to the Jets’ lack of depth at cornerback.
Myers has an opportunity to make a successful transition from the Alliance of American Football to the NFL. While he only received 13 defensive snaps on Thursday, that should change with Parry Nickerson struggling and Derrick Jones being waived.
Originally buried on the team’s first depth chart, Myers has a good chance of becoming a top depth piece for the Jets, but he needs to make the most of his next chance.
WR Tim White
Tim White has been the Jets’ breakout wide receiver through training camp thus far. However, he was unable to show why in Thursday’s loss to the Giants.
White saw a reasonable amount of snaps but failed to make his mark. The third-year wideout out of Arizona State was invisible, failing to record a single catch.
While White’s career rejuvenation has been compared to that of Tre McBride last summer, he needs to do a lot more to lock down a roster spot. White was a player to watch before Thursday’s game and many were surprised to see a goose egg on the stat sheet. Obviously, White still has a chance to right the ship, but he’s in danger of losing the confidence of his backers in the building if he doesn’t have a bounce-back performance.
