Opportunity will be aplenty when the Jets report to training camp in a couple of weeks.
Most of the focus throughout camp will center around battles for starting jobs. However, just because a player misses out on a starting job or is viewed more as a complementary piece than a primary option, that does not mean they cannot contribute in 2020.
With numerous starting jobs up for grabs in Jets camp, there will be a handful of players who end up No. 2 on the depth chart to begin the season and even more who are primed to contribute in secondary roles. Here are six Jets players flying under the radar entering training camp that have a major opportunity to prove their worth and establish their niche before Week 1 rolls around.
Vyncint Smith
No. 4 wide receivers typically don’t garner much attention or factor heavily into an offensive gameplan, but Vyncint Smith has what it takes to change that narrative this upcoming season.
Smith possesses the kind of electric skillset that can burn an opposing defense at any time. He has top-end breakaway speed and can do a lot to make defenders miss when he has the ball in the open field. The Jets seem set with Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims and Breshad Perriman as their three starting wideouts to begin the year, but it will be tough to keep Smith off the field knowing what he can bring to the table when given the opportunity to see the field.
The 2020 season has the makings of a breakout campaign for Smith. His chance to play will likely come in a complementary role, but that should be enough for him to make a difference.
Chris Herndon
Herndon might not necessarily classify as an under radar player considering how good he was as a rookie, but after a lost 2019 season in which Ryan Griffin played well and seized the starting tight end job, the Miami product has become somewhat of a forgotten man at One Jets Drive.
Griffin is likely to begin the season as New York’s starting tight end, but Herndon will undoubtedly factor into Adam Gase’s passing attack in some capacity. Frankly, it would not be much of a surprise to see Herndon ascend back to the starting job. As long as he is healthy and can flash the same talent he did in 2018, Herndon should return to being a primary target for Sam Darnold this upcoming season.
He just has to prove it in training camp.
Nathan Shepherd
Following a rough first season with the Jets, Nathan Shepherd turned the corner last season. Could he parlay his success as a rotational defensive lineman in 2019 into consistent production in 2020?
Shepherd recorded 11 tackles, six quarterback hits, five TFLs and two sacks last season in only nine games. Those numbers might not seem like a lot, but they dwarf in comparison to his statistics from his rookie year (15 tackles, one TFL, zero sacks).
Kyle Phillips stole the show with his production a year ago, leaving Shepherd as the defensive end flying under the radar entering 2020. That should not hinder his ability to make an impact this upcoming season, though — even if it’s on a rotational basis again.
Foley Fatukasi
This could be the year Foley Fatukasi assumes a major role on New York’s defensive line. It just wouldn’t seem like it considering how little attention he gets.
Steve McLendon is getting up there in age. As solid as the veteran has been for the Jets, he can’t play every single snap at defensive tackle. That gives Fatukasi a big-time opportunity to see the field and contribute as a space-eating run stuffer.
Jabari Zuniga
Does Zuniga fit the under the radar billing to a tee? Probably not considering the high hopes surrounding him as a third-round pick out of Florida. However, he is not guaranteed a starting spot entering 2020, which means his first NFL training camp offers him a huge opportunity to prove his worth.
Tarell Basham has an inside track at the starting outside linebacker spot opposite Jordan Jenkins, but Zuniga has the talent to overtake him if a couple of things break his way. For starters, he will have to translate his raw potential into viable production in the preseason. He will also have to master Gregg Williams’ defense, which is a tall task for any player — especially a rookie who did not benefit from in-person offseason workouts.
It will be interesting to see what comes of Zuniga in his first season with the Jets. The odds of him factoring into New York’s defense are high, but it will be up to him to dictate how much playing time he deserves as a rookie.
Bryce Hall
Bryce Hall gets talked about more than most fifth-round picks, which should technically disqualify him from this list. However, how often he gets brought up in conversation doesn’t make him a hot candidate to earn playing time.
Hall is stuck behind Bless Austin and Quincy Wilson in the battle for the starting spot opposite Pierre Desir. Training camp will give him the opportunity to rise up the pecking order, but there are hurdles that he has to clear in order to seriously be considered for the job. His health remains a concern entering camp and it remains to be seen if he can return to being the star cornerback he was as a junior at Virginia.
Of all the people on this list, Hall might have the biggest opportunity of them entering training camp. Austin and Wilson have not exactly proved much throughout their NFL careers. Hall hasn’t either, but he has the potential and track record to surprise and challenge for a starting spot as a rookie.
