Sunday was a day of firsts for the Jets’ 2019 rookie class, as all five of the neophytes on New York’s active roster all took the field together in the same game for the first time.
Week 5 marked Quinnen Williams’ return from an ankle injury, while offensive tackle Chuma Edoga made his first career start in place of Brandon Shell. Blake Cashman and Kyle Phillips took their fair share of snaps as they usually do and even Trevon Wesco saw a bit of playing time.
None of New York’s rookies turned in real eye-opening performances, but it was nice to see them all taking part in the same game for the first time. It also doesn’t hurt that the prized jewel of Gang Green’s rookie class had the best performance of his young career.
With that being said, let’s get into the latest edition of Jets Wire’s rookie power rankings series.
No. 5: TE Trevon Wesco
Last Week: No. 5
Wesco saw the field on a couple of running downs serving in his primary function as a blocking tight end.
It’s not much, but at least Wesco is being given the chance to occasionally make a key block. As long as he takes advantage of his brief stints on the field, he’s bound to see an uptick in snaps at some point this season.
No. 4: OT Chuma Edoga
Last Week: No. 4
Edoga made his first career start against the Eagles, but it wasn’t pretty for the USC product on Sunday afternoon.
Edoga was part of an offensive line that got bullied by Philadelphia, allowing 10 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. The third-round pick did little to stop the likes of Brandon Graham and Derrick Barnett coming off the edge and contributed to the unit’s pass protection woes.
It remains to be seen if Edoga gets another crack at starting against the Cowboys in Week 6. Either way, his debut left plenty to be desired.
No. 3: DT Kyle Phillips
Last Week: No. 2
Phillips made an early impact against the Eagles, recording one tackle and a pass deflection in the first quarter. Past that, he didn’t contribute much against Philadelphia.
With Quinnen Williams back at defensive tackle, Phillips didn’t see the field as much in Week 5. That’s to be expected moving forward, as Williams and Steve McLendon take up the bulk of the snaps at defensive tackle.
Phillips has the potential to push for an increased role on New York’s defensive line if he takes advantage of his limited playing time. A batted pass and a tackle against the Eagles is solid production, but the Jets need to see more if he wants to cement a more prominent spot on the depth chart.
No. 2: DT Quinnen Williams
Last Week: No. 4
Williams made his presence felt in his return to the field in Week 5, recording five tackles against the Eagles.
Williams didn’t drop anyone for a loss, but frequently closed up any holes Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard had to run through. The Alabama product eats up a lot of space in the middle and when he’s pushing back opposing offensive linemen as he was against Philadelphia, it’s tough to stop him.
The Jets are a much better defensive team when Williams is on the field and playing well. New York didn’t turn in a top-notch showing against the Eagles, but its run defense looked worlds better than it did before the bye week with Williams there to make plays.
No. 1: LB Blake Cashman
Last Week: No. 1
Cashman turned in another solid performance in defeat, racking up five tackles against the Eagles.
New York’s middle linebacker duo was firing on all cylinders in Week 5, as both Cashman and Neville Hewitt came to play. Both players have flown under the radar this season, especially Cashman, who has not disappointed since being inserted into the starting lineup in place of C.J. Mosley.
When Mosley returns to the field, Cashman’s role will be reduced. That does not mean the Minnesota product won’t factor into New York’s defensive gameplan, though. Cashman has earned his keep and established himself as a reliable defender so far this season. It might be tough for him to hold onto the top spot into the rankings while in a limited role, but Cashman should remain a key piece in Gregg Williams’ scheme this season.
