How the did the wide receiver position end up as one of the Jets biggest needs?

The Jets have Garrett Wilson and a whole lot of question marks at wide receiver

Despite signing Mike Williams in free agency, wide receiver is still considered one of the Jets’ main needs heading into the 2024 draft.

The New York Jets entered the offseason with a receiving corps that was sorely lacking in established talent other than number one receiver Garrett Wilson.

New York didn’t draft a receiver last year and, in retrospect, perhaps they should have. However, at the time, there was plenty of optimism about the strength of the wide receiver unit, even though they had traded Elijah Moore a few weeks beforehand.

Aside from Wilson, the Jets had Corey Davis and Denzel Mims on the roster and had signed Mecole Hardman and Allen Lazard in free agency. They also officially added Randall Cobb a week after the draft, although it was widely regarded as a foregone conclusion that he’d be added at some point.

Even now, that group doesn’t look as strong as it did heading into the offseason program last year, as each of these players saw their reputations take a major hit based on how 2023 played out.

Davis retired, Mims was traded for peanuts in August (and failed to make an impact elsewhere), Hardman was also traded after catching just one pass in six games as he failed to nail down a role, Cobb recorded just 39 receiving yards on 17 targets before being benched down the stretch and, finally, Lazard was also benched after an underwhelming string of performances that ultimately saw him end the season with just 23 catches.

About a year ago, however, there were high hopes for all of these guys. Lazard and Cobb provided the Jets with a starter and a depth player who each had good chemistry with Aaron Rodgers and had performed well in the same role in 2023. Hardman, who had over 150 catches and 16 total touchdowns in his first four seasons, was talking about expanding his role and taking his game to the next level. Mims was supposedly having a strong offseason and reportedly determined not to give up his spot. Finally, Davis was coming off two injury plagued seasons where he led the team in receiving until he got injured, so the hope was that he could stay healthy and produce with Rodgers at the helm.

Rodgers had left Green Bay under a cloud and headed to New York on the understanding that they wouldn’t go cheap on pass catching options and there was plenty of talk about the group the Jets put together potentially being one of the best he’d ever played with. There was even concern about being able to keep everyone involved.

Even after trading Mims, the Jets looked like they were going to struggle to find room on their roster for undrafted rookies (and camp standouts) Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee. And, while the Davis retirement ultimately enabled them to retain both, neither of them was involved on offense early in the season. In fact, nether was Hardman, who didn’t play any snaps in week one against the Bills.

Somehow — and, for once, not due to injuries — the situation continued to degrade from there. Wilson excelled but the Jets had to force targets his way because everyone else either wasn’t getting open or just couldn’t seem to connect with the quarterback.

Of course, the quarterback position was a major factor here. Rodgers’ early season injury was obviously a major blow, but replacing him with Zach Wilson proved to be such a downgrade that it sunk the whole unit. The running game stalled because defenses could stack the box, short passes weren’t working because defensive players could sit on those routes and, when players were getting open, Wilson was routinely missing them – if he even saw them in the first place.

Questions remain though. Had Rodgers remained in the line-up, would this unit have thrived? Can any of these players – specifically Lazard or perhaps a re-signed Cobb – bounce back if Rodgers returns? Would Rodgers even want to still play with any of these guys?

Conclusions

This sequence of events has led us into a situation where the Jets are completely overhauling the receiver unit. Obviously Wilson (Garrett, that is) will be back. Otherwise, Lazard’s contractual status may make his return likely, but it doesn’t seem like the Jets are high on his potential to contribute much in 2024, and they’re clearly ready to move on after that.

The rest of the group is going to look completely different. Williams’ size and experience gives them a dimension they lacked last season, and the team could yet add another established veteran to the mix.

They have some youth and potential too. Gipson and Brownlee, whom Rodgers praised last year after developing chemistry with each of them in training camp, could thrive in a reserve role. However, it’s also widely expected that the team will use one of their top draft picks on a receiver with excellent potential and maybe even the ability to come right in and start.

Rodgers has proven over the course of his career that he’s capable of getting production out of almost anyone, although he is regarded as someone who will establish his favorites and lean on them in key situations. The Jets aren’t taking any chances though. Hopefully this re-tooled unit can help Rodgers as he strives to rediscover former glories.