Who Are Today’s Top 20 New York Jets?

ALL-PRO POTENTIAL

1. Quinnen Williams, DT (27)
2. Garrett Wilson, WR (25)
3. Sauce Gardner, CB (24)
4. Quincy Williams, LB (28)

Gardner (2022, 2023), Quinnen Williams (2022), and Quincy Williams (2023) have already made recent NFL All-Pro Teams. The expectation is that Gardner will rebound from an inconsistent, injury-marred third season.

And the new defensive scheme should help boost the Williams brothers’ stats. Quinnen will benefit from being moved around the line to potentially avoid constant double-teams, while Quincy will have an opportunity to blitz more under new DC Steve Wilks.

Meanwhile, HC Aaron Glenn and OC Tanner Engstrand have emphasized the need to get Wilson the ball frequently. Plus, since he is already Justin Fields’ favorite wide receiver, he won’t have to worry about a “Davante Adams” showing up mid-season.

PRO-BOWL POTENTIAL

5. Alijah Vera-Tucker, RG (26)
6. Will McDonald, DE (26)
7. Jamien Sherwood, LB (25)
8. Breece Hall, RB (24)
9. Jermaine Johnson, DE (26)
10. Michael Carter II, CB (26)

Vera-Tucker quietly had his strongest season in 2024, finishing with a career best PFF grade of 77.4 which ranked him 15^th among all NFL guards. McDonald had 10 ½ sacks in 2024, while team MVP Sherwood earned his new contract by finishing third in the NFL with 158 tackles.

Hall showed flashes of stardom in his first two seasons. Last year he dealt with multiple play-callers and a quarterback who often audibled out of running plays at the line of scrimmage. If Glenn/Engstrand give him Jahmyr Gibbs usage (250 carries, 52 receptions), he could break out and earn himself a long-term extension.

Johnson, who made the Pro Bowl in 2023, tore his Achilles last season. That was an underrated reason why the Jets defense finished 17^th in rushing yards against (compared to third overall in yards against). His return to health, along with nickelback Carter, will be a key to the Jets solidifying their defense.

UP-N-COMING

11. Joe Tippmann, C (24)
12. Olu Fashanu, LT (22)

There’s a clear-cut competition for the starting center spot with the Jets. Josh Myers, who was signed this summer to a one-year contract, was Fields center at Ohio State and started 56 games over the last four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. While Pro Football Focus is not the end-all, be-all, last season Myers had an overall grade of 55.7 ranking 46^th among all NFL centers. On the flip side, in only his sophomore year, Tippmann had a PFF overall grade of 73.4, finishing ninth. Our money is on Tippmann retaining his role and rising up the rankings.

Fashanu played in 15 games, starting 7, in his rookie year. He entered camp last week as the undisputed starting left tackle.

SOMETHING TO PROVE

13. John Simpson, LG (27)
14. Justin Fields, QB (26)
15. Andrew Cisco, S (25)
16. Brandon Stephens, CB (27)

Simpson signed a two-year contract last summer and responded with his best NFL season. The hope is that Fields, Cisco, and Stephens can do the same in their debut season after headlining GM Darren Mougey’s first free agent class.

ALL-ROOKIE POTENTIAL

17. Armand Membou, RT (21)
18. Mason Taylor, TE (21)

If healthy, the Jets top two draft choices are primed to be full-time starters on the Jets offense. Membou should benefit from playing alongside Vera-Tucker and practicing daily against McDonald.

Meanwhile, the Jets can once again look to the Detroit Lions for a way to potentially use Taylor. Sam LaPorta, a former second round pick like Taylor, was targeted 203 times in his first two seasons resulting in 1615 yards and 17 touchdowns.

BEST OF THE REST

19. Braelon Allen, RB (21)
20. Tyrod Taylor, QB (35)

With the success that Glenn/Engstrand had with the Lions, it’s hard to not keep looking at how they spread the ball around. While we know that Fields will run the ball more than Jared Goff (last year Fields ran it 55 times in 6 starts while Goff ran it only 35 times all year). However, there should still be plenty of carries left for the second string running back. 

David Montgomery had 185 carries for the Lions. If the Jets run a similar offense, Allen and Isaiah Davis will have a chance to play a meaningful role in 2025.

Taylor’s inability to stay healthy prevented him from being considered for a full-time starter’s role after leaving the Buffalo Bills back in 2017. However, he’s been one of the league’s most consistent backups, and a mentor to the likes of Baker Mayfield, Justin Herbert, Davis Mills and Daniel Jones. If Fields blossoms in 2025, don’t overlook Taylor’s impact behind the scenes.

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