In a little over a month, the Jets will begin training camp in Florham Park.
Spring practices have come and gone with some roster turnover and players standing out along the way. Right now, New York is still carrying 90 players on its roster. Before long, Adam Gase and Joe Douglas will work together to narrow that number down to 53.
Here, Jets Wire will take a stab at predicting what Gang Green’s active roster will look like when the Jets host the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Here is version 2.0 of our roster prediction series.
Quarterbacks (2)
Starter: Sam Darnold
Backup: Trevon Siemian
The Jets seem set with Darnold and Siemian at quarterback, but don’t sleep on Davis Webb entering training camp.
The California product occasionally took reps with the second-team offense throughout the spring. Whether or not that was planned to allow him to gain more experience working in Adam Gase’s offense remains to be seen, but it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on throughout camp.
Luke Falk also has a shot to usurp Siemian, but it is a slim one. Falk’s saving grace is that he spent last season with the Miami Dolphins and is familiar with Gase.
Running Back (4)
Starter: Le’Veon Bell
Backups: Ty Montgomery, Elijah McGuire, Bilal Powell
With Bilal Powell back in the mix, Trenton Cannon seems like the odd man out in only his second year with the Jets.
Powell is a more established runner and pass-catcher out of the backfield. Cannon was inconsistent in both roles as a rookie. Even on special teams, where he was lauded as a player with the potential to make an instant impact, Cannon disappointed.
Remember, Joe Douglas did not draft Cannon. He has no inclination to keep him around if he doesn’t like what he sees throughout training camp.
Wide Receivers (6)
Starter(s): Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, Jamison Crowder
Backups: Josh Bellamy, Deontay Burnett, Greg Dortch
Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa and Jamison Crowder will be Sam Darnold’s favorite targets in 2019. However, there is also some solid depth developing behind them.
Deontay Burnett came on strong at the end of last season and has both the potential and rapport with Darnold to make an impact this upcoming season. Undrafted free agent Greg Dortch showed how electric he is throughout the spring and Jets Wire is predicting he makes the team over Charone Peake.
Not only could Dortch develop into a dynamic underneath route runner, but he has the skill set to be a weapon in the return game. With the Jets needing to replace Andre Roberts, Dortch’s chances of making the team are boosted thanks to his kick and punt return prowess.
Tight End (3)
Starter: Chris Herndon
Backup: Trevon Wesco, Eric Tomlinson
Right now, the Jets have four tight ends on their roster. Only three of them are worthy of a roster spot, even though that leaves New York in a less than ideal spot at the position.
With Chris Herndon likely facing an early-season suspension, Joe Douglas will need to add another tight end or two to the mix either before or during training camp.
Offensive Line (9)
Starters: Kelvin Beachum, Kelechi Osemele, Jonotthan Harrison, Brian Winters, Brandon Shell
Backups: Brent Qvale, Chuma Edoga, Tom Compton, Jon Toth
Nothing new to see here in terms of which offensive linemen we have making the team, but there are a couple of names to keep an eye on that could seriously challenge for a roster spot in training camp.
Undrafted free agents Tyler Jones and Wyatt Miller have what it takes to make New York’s 53-man roster. If either makes the team, Brent Qvale seems like he would be the odd man out.
Jon Toth is also unlikely to make the team. However, as stated in our previous roster prediction, he is currently the only player on the roster who can play center in the event of an injury to Jonotthan Harrison. Joe Douglas will likely address this at some point before the offseason concludes.
Defensive Linemen (6)
Starters: Leonard Williams, Quinnen Williams, Henry Anderson
Backups: Steve McLendon, Nathan Shepherd, Foley Fatukasi
Barring an addition by Joe Douglas, this is the defensive line the Jets will begin 2019 with.
The Jets have decent depth at the position, but it seems likely Douglas will bring in a body or two to compete in training camp.
Linebacker (8)
Starters: C.J. Mosley, Avery Williamson, Jordan Jenkins, Brandon Copeland
Backups: Blake Cashman, Neville Hewitt, Frankie Luvu, Jachai Polite
With Darron Lee gone, 2019 fifth-round pick Blake Cashman is all but a lock to make the team if he stays healthy in camp. Lee’s departure also opens up a spot for Neville Hewitt.
As it stands right now, Brandon Copeland holds down a starting outside linebacker spot. However, with a strong training camp, Jachai Polite can easily overtake him.
Cornerback (7)
Starters: Trumaine Johnson, Darryl Roberts, Brian Poole
Backups: Parry Nickerson, Derrick Jones, Jeremy Clark, Montrel Meander
Joe Douglas has addressed the cornerback position by adding two players in his first couple days as general manager, but he still has plenty of work to do.
New York’s lack of a No. 2 cornerback has been well-documented throughout the offseason. The Jets seem content entering training camp with Darryl Roberts in that role, but Douglas will likely remain aggressive in his pursuit of cornerback talent outside the organization.
Safety (4)
Starters: Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye
Backups: Doug Middleton, Rontez Miles
Assuming everyone stays healthy in training camp, the Jets will likely enter the regular season with these four safeties on the roster.
There’s a chance the hard-hitting Santos Ramirez steals Rontez Miles’ spot, but Miles’ play on special teams should be enough to ensure him a spot on the 53-man roster.
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Chandler Catanzaro
Punter: Lachlan Edwards
Long Snapper: Thomas Hennessey
Adam Gase brought in Matt Darr to compete with Lachlan Edwards in camp, but odds are that move was made just to keep Edwards sharp. With the progress Edwards has made the past two seasons, his job should be safe. The same goes for Thomas Hennessey at long snapper, who will not have to deal with any competition during training camp.
Assuming the Jets do not add another kicker into the mix, the starting job is Chandler Catanzaro’s. However, Douglas should bring in another body to compete with Catanzaro throughout camp after he struggled last season.
