What key roles do the New York Jets need to fill?

The Jets have some work to do this offseason

A well-constructed NFL roster can vary in terms of how they’re built. Easy example, some good teams build around a great defense, while others build around a good offense. Beyond that, some teams create a strong defense based on a strong front-four, whereas others build around a strong secondary.

While teams can vary in what they have, there is a line of thought that the great teams usually have specific roles filled. Based on this idea, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network and the Move the Sticks podcast recently broke down what the current iteration of the New York Jets does and does not have from a role perspective.

As shown above, the roles that constitute a “championship foundation” are:

• 1 quarterback
• 3 offensive playmakers
• 3 quality offensive lineman
• 2 pass rushers
• 3 defensive playmakers

Based on this graph, the Jets have some work to do. Beyond positions where the Jets are simply missing a player altogether (e.g., offensive playmaker 3), they are showing significant weaknesses in key places based on the color-coding system they used even among the players listed. At offensive line, the Jets have one player rated as good (offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker), one rated yellow (concerned about), and one rated purple (unproven). I don’t know how Vera-Tucker didn’t get an injury concern label. They Jets also have concerns at quarterback, which is understandable, as Aaron Rodgers is old by NFL standards and coming off a major leg injury. This larger concern about the offense seems to align with the general concerns of fans and other analysts about the New York Jets. On a more positive note, Jeremiah rated running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson as blue-chip players, which seems fitting and well deserved to me.

On an even brighter side, Jeremiah seems to think the Jets’ defense is ready for a championship. Not only did they fill every role, but they filled two of them with blue-chip players in defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Beyond that, two of the roles were filled by established good players, and the depth of their defense was nicely highlighted, with three players mentioned in the third defensive playmaker spot. Of note, and admittedly with some green fan goggles on, I would argue that slot cornerback Michael Carter II should easily have been a justified blue-chip selection based on his performance over the last two seasons.

Overall, this paints a very rosy picture on the quality of the Jets defense and a cloudy picture on the quality of the Jets offense. While not a perfect analysis, I think this does a great job of representing their current strengths and weaknesses while capturing just how good the Jets can be if their offense can improve their performance in 2024.