The Jets came away with their first preseason victory against the Falcons on Thursday night, but their rookies didn’t do much to contribute to the win.
Two members of New York’s rookie class started against Atlanta, but there wasn’t much else to write home about elsewhere. Rookie performances during the preseason are usually hit or miss, so it’s not much of a surprise that the 2019 draft class didn’t bring much to the table in Week 2.
Week 3 will provide another opportunity for the Jets’ rookies to open some eyes. Until then, here’s where they stand in the latest edition of Jets Wire’s rookie power rankings.
No. 5: TE Trevon Wesco
Last Week: No. 5
Wesco caught a touchdown pass from Luke Falk in the second half, but had it called back due to a pass interference penalty away from the play. With his touchdown reception wiped out, the fourth-round pick out of West Virginia did not appear in the box score for the second consecutive week.
At this point, Wesco is on the cusp of falling out of the rankings. He’ll need to put up some numbers in Week 3 against the Saints if he wants to stick around.
No. 4: WR/KR Greg Dortch
Last Week: No. 2
After an electric debut against the Giants, Dortch came crashing back down to earth in Week 2.
The undrafted free agent did not catch a single pass one week after hauling in four passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. He also only returned one punt for nine yards. However, showed good judgment letting some punts bounce and fair catching others.
Dortch only falls in the rankings this week due to lack of opportunities in the return game. Look for him to get back on track against the Saints next week.
No. 3: OLB Jachai Polite
Last Week: No. 4
Polite continues to inch his way up the rankings, as he makes a one-spot jump after a two-tackle performance against the Falcons.
The third-round pick out of Florida is slowly working his way into New York’s outside linebacker rotation on a consistent basis. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has spent training camp working with Polite to become an overall outside linebacker instead of an EDGE. Based on the results, the work has paid off.
As long as Polite sees the field, he’s destined to climb as high as No. 2 in the rankings by the time the regular season begins.
No. 2: OT Chuma Edoga
Last Week: Not Ranked
Edoga jumps all the way from unranked to No. 2 after making his first career start against the Falcons.
The USC product played well early on, but got bullied by Vic Beasley and allowed him to sack Sam Darnold late in the first quarter. Edoga showed promise in his first NFL start, but clearly still has a ways to go before seriously challenging for a starting spot.
Odds are Edoga will be bounced out of the rankings once he reverts back to the bench. As long as he remains in the starting lineup, he will remain in the rankings.
No. 1: DT Quinnen Williams
Last Week: No. 1
Williams did not record a tackle in 21 snaps played, but his impact goes beyond the box score.
It took only three plays for the Alabama product to show why he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. In the first quarter, he drove back Falcons offensive lineman Jamon Brown and forced Matt Ryan into a tough situation. He later blew by Pro Bowler Jake Matthews to force a holding penalty and recorded a quarterback hit on Matt Schaub in the second quarter.
The sky is the limit for Williams. His performance against the Falcons is the latest example of that.
