With several late picks the Jets may target upgrading their special teams
Brant Boyer is returning for his ninth season as the New York Jets special teams coordinator. However, despite our warnings, the Jets have let a few key special teams contributors leave, so it will be necessary to find some new people to fill key roles.
In some cases, they may have players already on the roster who they will be hoping can step up.
The most significant loss is Justin Hardee, but the team is obviously high on Irv Charles as a primary gunner (despite the fact the Jets’ coverage numbers were significantly worse when Hardee was injured last year). Hardee was also a special teams captain who made contributions as a blocker and on kickoff coverage units, though, so Charles alone might not be enough to replace his contributions.
The team opted to bring back Ashtyn Davis, although it seems likely they might increase his role on defense and reduce his special teams workload. They also didn’t bring back Sam Eguavoen yet, although he is still a free agent. Could 2023 draft picks Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Zaire Barnes pick up some of the slack here?
New York will no doubt be looking for players in the upcoming draft, or available as undrafted rookies, who can help them in these areas. With the new kickoff rules coming in during the 2024 season, this may mean that teams are prioritizing different skill sets for potential special teams contributors going forwards, but let’s look at some possibilities.
One area the Jets don’t need to worry about is the kicking game. Long snapper Thomas Hennessy, kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Thomas Morstead are all under contract not only for this year but also in 2025. At some point maybe they may add someone as a camp leg or onto the practice squad as emergency cover, but this doesn’t need to be this year.
Moving on to the return game, the rule changes might mean that different styles of return men start to come into fashion. Some have suggested that one-cut running backs with good burst and acceleration will be even more effective in such a role. If that’s the case, it could be good news for the Jets, who typically target such runners anyway because that suits their offensive system.
As for who some of the top incoming return men are, two good options could be wide receivers Xavier Legette from South Carolina and Xavier Worthy of Texas. Legette’s 2023 numbers were underwhelming but he averaged over 30 yards per kickoff return in 2022. The speedster Worthy averaged 17 yards per punt return with a touchdown last season. The Jets already have their own Xavier to return kicks, as Xavier Gipson held the job down last year, and it’s probably just as well because these two Xaviers are likely to go in between the Jets’ first and second picks unless they make a trade.
Still, if the Jets plan to move on from Gipson, or give him a role where he concentrates on offense instead, there will be other options later on. Slot cornerback Daequan Hardy from Penn State had two punt return touchdowns last year and averaged 14.4 yards per return, and diminutive wide receiver Anthony Gould from Oregon, who ran sub-4.4 at the combine, had two punt return touchdowns in 2022.
On kickoffs, Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy averaged 24.4 yards per return with a touchdown last season and Lideatrick Griffin, a wide receiver from Mississippi State, averaged 30.7 yards per kickoff return over the course of his career, with two touchdowns.
At the moment, the Jets’ best gunners are probably Charles and Brandin Echols, although both are arguably not locks to make the final roster.
One of the best gunners in the draft is regarded as Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, but he’s another player who will likely be drafted too high to be a consideration for the Jets. For a more affordable option later on, Louisville cornerback Jarvis Brownlee and USC wide receiver Tahj Washington have some experience in the role and shown some promise.
Cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers, the draft prospect who didn’t attend college but played in the CFL last season, showed some promise covering kicks both in Canada and at the Shrine Bowl.
While they don’t play the gunner position, Utah defensive backs Sione Vaki and Cole Bishop were both productive special teamers in college, who could potentially take on some of Hardee’s old duties. Texas defensive back Ryan Watts is another with this kind of potential.
Linebackers that can contribute on special teams are also valuable. Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper is another who will likely be drafted in between the 10th and 72nd picks currently held by the Jets. Trevin Wallace from Kentucky, who ran 4.51 at the combine, could be a day three consideration.
Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton brings added value with his knack for blocking kicks. He blocked four in 2023. However, he’s a potential first round pick. If you’re looking for someone who has a knack for that kind of thing, you could probably pick up Assumption College defensive end Joseph MacDougall, who blocked six, as an undrafted free agent.
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