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The Jets are fielding the youngest team in the league, and at times, it shows.
It is something to keep in mind when watching these Jets. To use Robert Saleh’s phrasing, they are “ridiculously young.” The Jets have had 1,739 snaps from rookies through five games, the most in the NFL. The team in second place (the Steelers) is 379 snaps behind the Jets. The Jets are second in the league in offensive snaps by rookies and fourth in defensive snaps by rookies, per Tru Media.
The Jets have four rookie starters/major contributors on offense and four on defense. It leads to some rocky days as the rookies learn their way.
The top rookie everyone is focused on is quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick. His performance gets dissected enough. We thought it would be good to look at the rest of the rookie class in this week’s newsletter. Here’s how the rest of the class is faring:
Alijah Vera-Tucker, guard, first-round
Vera-Tucker got thrown into the fire immediately. He had no preseason games because he was dealing with a chest injury. That meant his first NFL game action came in Week 1 against the Panthers, and he struggled. But since then, he has improved drastically and looks like a really good pick.
Vera-Tucker has started all five games and is the second-highest-rated rookie guard in the NFL and ninth-rated guard overall. His 92.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 5 against the Falcons was the best mark among guards in the league.
After allowing 14 pressures in the first three weeks, he has not allowed one in the last two. Vera-Tucker looks like he will be a solid player for the Jets for years to come.
Elijah Moore, wide receiver, second round
Moore has been one of the biggest disappointments of the early season for the Jets. He had a great spring and a strong start to training camp before an injury slowed him down. Things have not clicked in the regular season. He has eight catches for 66 yards in four games. He missed one game due to a concussion.
Part of the problem is how the Jets are using him. Moore primarily played slot receiver at Ole Miss, but the Jets have pushed him outside because they like Jamison Crowder and Braxton Berrios at slot. Per PFF, Moore has 121 snaps wide this season and just 41 at slot. Watch for that to change moving forward.
PFF has Moore ranked 101st out of 113 receivers graded.
Michael Carter, running back, fourth round
After starting the season with a true committee approach, Carter has emerged as the Jets’ lead back. He has 47 rushes for 165 yards and two touchdowns along with nine catches for 64 yards in five games.
Carter has shown flashes of how elusive he can be, but the Jets have not put together a strong running game as a whole. The Jets need Carter to be a home-run threat. His longest run is 14 yards.
Jamien Sherwood, linebacker, fifth round
The Jets took Sherwood out of Auburn with the idea of moving him from safety to linebacker. At times, Sherwood has looked very much like a safety trying to play linebacker. He needs to learn how to shed blocks better, but he is a very reliable tackler. He plays mainly on early downs or in run situations and comes off when the nickel is on the field. Sherwood shows promise and should improve with more experience.
Michael Carter II, cornerback, fifth round
The most pleasant surprise of the rookie class has been Carter II. He has been terrific in the slot. He had trouble against 6-foot-6 Kyle Pitts on Sunday in London, but that is understandable. In five games, Carter II has two passes defensed, one fumble recovery and 27 tackles. He has emerged as one of the best tacklers on the team.
Next Gen Stats has him with the sixth-best passer rating allowed among all rookies this season. The five in front of him are first- or second-round picks. He also has the fifth-best EPA (expected points above average) among rookies. PFF has him rated 25th out of 115 cornerbacks.
Jason Pinnock, cornerback/safety, fifth round
Pinnock has only played in two games, as a special teamer. He is playing on most of the teams.
Hamsah Nasirildeen, linebacker, fifth round
Nasirildeen began the year as a starter, but he struggled and saw his playing time cut. He is currently on injured reserve.
Brandin Echols, cornerback, sixth round
Echols was a surprise starter at the beginning of the season and has held onto the starting spot for five games. He has two passes defensed and 22 tackles. PFF rates him 95th out of 115 cornerbacks. Echols has not been a shutdown corner, but he also has not been a liability.
Jonathan Marshall, defensive tackle, sixth round
Marshall has played in just one game, when the Jets wanted a lot of defensive linemen against Derrick Henry and the Titans. He played sparingly in that game.
Overall, the Jets have to feel encouraged at how their rookies are playing. They have found some who look like keepers already in Vera-Tucker and Carter II with others showing plenty of promise.
Q&A
Should Mike LaFleur go upstairs?
The Jets are searching for answers as to why their offense is starting so slowly. There will be calls for LaFleur to leave the sideline and call plays from the press box, but I’m not sure that’s the answer. The Jets like having LaFleur on the sideline to talk to Zach Wilson, and that makes sense. The answer might be putting someone else upstairs to help LaFleur out more.
Who is the odd man out if Denzel Mims plays more?
I think we are going to see more of Mims after the bye week. That leads to the question of whose playing time drops if Mims increases. I think Keelan Cole will see a decrease. Cole has made some critical catches in the past two games, but he does not get many yards after the catch and is not as explosive as Mims.
What is an under-the-radar issue with this team?
The tight end production has been dreadful. Tyler Kroft and Ryan Griffin have not provided much of a threat. They have combined for 14 catches for 95 yards and no touchdowns. Not good.
Statistically speaking
The Jets have scored 67 points through five games, an average of 13.4 per game. That would be among the worst outputs in franchise history. Here are the lowest-scoring teams in Jets history:
Year: Points per game (Coach)
1976: 12.1 (Lou Holtz, Mike Holovak)
1977: 13.6 (Michaels)
1992: 13.8 (Bruce Coslet)
1995: 14.6 (Rich Kotite)
2005: 15 (Herm Edwards)
1971: 15.1 (Weeb Ewbank)
2020: 15.2 (Adam Gase)
1989: 15.8 (Joe Walton)
1994: 16.5 (Pete Carroll)
2007: 16.8 (Eric Mangini)
