Although the New York Jets have been a terrible team, for the most part, this season, I believe they will have an extremely bright future in coming years. Their roster, though it may not be as evident upon first glance, has plenty of young talent. If the Jets can make a couple of the right moves, then they can be a serious contender within the next half-decade. The New York Jets’ future is very bright.
Despite Terrible 2020 Campaign, the New York Jets Have a Bright Future Ahead
First off, I would like to mention that I am not taking into consideration their last two wins against the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. These wins were not the reason the Jets have a bright future, and will not be used as reasoning.
Plenty of Young Talent
The Jets have a lot of talented players who are young and still have time to develop and give more to the team. On both sides of the ball, they have playmakers with a lot of potential, who simply need to be utilized and surrounded properly.
Offensively, the Jets have found a gem at left tackle in the rookie Mekhi Becton. He has been absolutely incredible so far, and can already be put in the conversation of the top 10 blindside blockers in the league. Becton is an absolutely insane player, and since he is a rookie, still has plenty of time left in him. The Jets have also found a rookie gem in wide receiver Denzel Mims. His numbers have not been anything too crazy this year but have shown glimpses of talent, and just needs to be utilized correctly in order to break out.
In addition, they have a couple of other decent receivers, like Jamison Crowder, arguably one of the best slot receivers in the NFL right now. And to top it off, Breshad Perriman, though not a great player by any means, can help take the top off of defenses — once again, if utilized properly.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Jets have even more young talent. First off, Quinnen Williams has been a quietly good nose tackle for them. In addition, safety Marcus Maye has had a particularly good season. Not to mention, they have C.J. Mosley, who opted out of the 2020 season but will serve as an experienced veteran to lead their defense.
If this Jets team had a coach who knew what he was doing, and could utilize their young talent correctly, they would be a very successful franchise. However, they do still definitely need some help at certain positions.
Need to Make the Right Moves
Although the Jets have a ton of young talent, there are a few positions in which they desperately need a playmaker. These positions, in order of importance, are cornerback, offensive line, quarterback, running back, and edge rusher.
Cornerback
The Jets desperately need a boundary cornerback who can help shadow the opposing team’s number one receiver. As of right now, the Jets have two late-round pick corners starting for them, neither of which have performed well at all. They desperately need a shutdown corner who can shadow elite receivers they will inevitably face in the future.
Offensive Line
The Jets were able to get Mekhi Becton who protects the blindside, but there is still work to be done on that line. The interior could use some work, and this draft class has plenty of guys who can help seal up the interior of that offensive line. Getting one of those players would be a good pick for the Jets.
Quarterback
Sam Darnold is a talented player. However, he has not been the franchise quarterback this team needs him to be. With their early first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, they should select a quarterback who can be their franchise quarterback of the future. In my opinion, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson would be their best bet, although Justin Fields out of Ohio State would definitely not be a bad choice either. Whatever they do, getting a quarterback who can be their guy for the future would be a great move. Missing out on Trevor Lawrence was definitely a huge loss, but they can still make do with one of these guys.
Running Back
Right now, the New York Jets do not have a stable running game they can depend on. Frank Gore is currently their starter at that position, which is less than ideal. There are plenty of decent running backs hitting free agency this season. Aaron Jones, Gus Edwards, and plenty of other options for players who can be workhorse running backs will be available this spring during free agency. However, they can still get a good player in the draft if they can’t get one in free agency. Getting a second or third-round running back would be a great idea for them.
Edge Rusher
Quinnen Williams, and other interior defensive linemen on the Jets, have done a pretty solid job for the Jets so far this year. The Jets can capitalize on this success by getting an EDGE rusher who can benefit from the offensive line giving attention to the interior, and coming off the edge to get pressure on the quarterback. An edge rusher would be a great pickup for the Jets and would help them a ton in the long run.
At the end of the day, the Jets have plenty of young talent that needs to be utilized properly and surrounded properly in order to succeed. I think that they are in a great position to build a good future with this team, as long as they can nurture that young talent correctly. It will be exciting to see how the Jets are able to turn this struggling franchise around. The New York Jets future is bright!
