For most teams, finishing the season with five wins would be considered a major disappointment. However, the New York Jets don’t fall into that category. A season that was destined by many to be winless ended up with a few bright moments. Most notably was the Jets domination of their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, on Thursday Night Football. The nationally televised win was a big step in Gang Green’s rebuilding process.
However, it wasn’t their record that was the reason for the hopeful outlook, but the development of younger players. The Jets had players exceed expectations at almost every position.
Why the New York Jets 2018 Outlook Is Sky High
Season Recap
The offense, led by veteran Josh McCown, was soaring at one point in the season. Though he most likely won’t start many games in the Big Apple next season, he brought out the best in receivers Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson. That duo paired with Austin Seferian-Jenkins and running backs Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire form a complete offense.
Though the Jets offensive line desperately needs a tune-up, tackle Kelvin Beachum has proven to be a comparable starter in the league. The line will definitely be an area to address in the offseason.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive is anything but short of playmakers. The safety position is taken care of for the next decade with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye quickly looking to become one of the league’s best duos.
Leonard Williams once again dominated the defensive line for Gang Green while Steve McLendon was a nice compliment to Williams’ dominance. The linebacker position was one of concern entering the season but Darron Lee and Demario Davis surprised a lot of people with their play this season. Davis was acquired from the Cleveland Browns after being sent there just two years ago. He made an immediate impact filling in for David Harris and Davis will continue to improve. Lastly, Buster Skrine and Morris Claiborne showed flashes of being viable corners when they could stay healthy.
All of this is what the Jets currently have. Mixing all that with stability at the head coach and general manager position gives the Jets an extremely strong foundation. But wait, there’s more.
The Future
Not only do the Jets currently have around $100 million to spend in free agency, but they currently have the number six overall pick and two second-round picks (in addition to at least one pick each round for the rest of the draft).
The best part of the Jets young players experiencing winning was that it didn’t come at the sacrifice of a top pick. Yes, it would have been extremely beneficial to get a top two pick in the draft to select either Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, but drafting at six overall isn’t bad either.
There will be many more articles about where this money should go and who the Jets should pick at sixth overall. They’ve longed for a true franchise quarterback for decades now and they’re in a prime position to finally get one.
This season had its ups and down and there were questionable decisions by head coach Todd Bowles, but the future is bright. If nothing else, this will surely be an exciting offseason after a season that showed a lot of promise.
