Summer is here and the New York Jets are preparing for training camp. The off-season brought a lot of exciting new additions to the roster. With Super Bowl aspirations at the forefront, the team is eager to get to work. Especially a talented roster preparing for upcoming roster competition. Of all the position battles, the Jets wide receiver competition has drawn the most attention. Up & coming star Garrett Wilson will lead the group alongside new addition Mike Williams. However, the remainder of the Jets wide receivers depth chart is up in the air at the position.
Fortunately, this is a good problem for Robert Saleh and Nathaniel Hackett to have. Between the likes of Allen Lazard, primary kick returner Xavier Gipson, and rookie Malachi Corley; they each offer a unique skill set. However, who among them will join Wilson and Williams in the starting 11? Let’s examine where the Jets wide receivers competition stands after mandatory minicamp.
Exciting Jets Wide Receiver Battle Heating Up
After an unfortunate season marred with injuries and inconsistency, the New York Jets have taken active measures to help their offense. Joe Douglas prioritized the offensive line early back in March. Specifically, the veteran presence of Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses can make a world of difference. Along with the excitement Olu Fashanu can offer if he sees the field. However, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t leave Garrett Wilson without help. The 10th overall pick in 2022 is off to a great start in his young career. Like Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, Garrett Wilson has over 1,000 in each season of his career. They brought in long-time Charger Mike Williams to pair with Garrett to further blossom his talent. But what about the rest of the wide receiver room? Let’s examine the additional Jets wide receivers and see what they bring to the table.
Allen Lazard
On paper, Allen Lazard was the presumptive favorite for the job. The veteran is looking for a bounce-back season after a dreadful first season in New York. The team wants to get some value back on that four-year $44 million contract he signed last offseason. While the most well-known name, Lazard was plagued with dropped passes, injuries, and reported attitude problems. It’s led Joe Douglas to sign Mike Williams, who offers a similar game to Lazard but provides more upside. The team will try to involve him more but of the Jets wide receivers, the odds are stacked against Lazard compared to his competition.
Xavier Gipson
On September 11, 2023; Jets fans watched in horror as Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles. The roar of the crowd reached a screeching halt as the future Hall of Fame walked off the sideline. Despite this, Xavier Gipson didn’t let that stop him from making an impact. His punt return touchdown in overtime is a memory fans will recall for a long time.
Now it appears he’s ready to be featured more in the offense. Although last season had similar problems with dropped passes, he’s looked like a new man thus far. Coincidentally, he’s spent the majority of minicamp working with the first-team offense. Blessed with great elusiveness and breakaway speed, Gipson has worked hard to improve his route running. With Aaron Rodgers fondness for check-downs, Gipson’s speed can be a useful tool in developing this offense.
Malachi Corley
After adding their left tackle of the future in the first round, Joe Douglas wanted to add to the wide receiver room on day two of the draft. The team traded up for standout wide receiver Malachi Corley. The former Western Kentucky Hilltopper was one of the best YAC receivers in college last year. Malachi Corley was praised by the likes of accomplished veterans like Steve Smith Sr. He finished his college career with back-to-back seasons of 11 touchdown receptions.
While the team invested in him, he’s been brought along slowly thus far. This may seem concerning, but New York has taken a slow and steady route when involving rookies. There was a time when Sauce Gardner was losing practice reps to Brandin Echols. Although he’s been seldom used thus far, Corley will eventually get his share of the ball in training camp. He will get every opportunity afforded to him so he can prove he should start.
Jason Brownlee
Xavier Gipson isn’t the only UDFA competing for the job. Jason Brownlee joined the team last year as an undrafted free agent. The former Southern Mississippi wide receiver impressed in minicamp last year and continues to make plays. Compared to Gipson and Corley, Brownlee does offer more size standing at 6’2″. He had been impressing the team back in May during OTAs. Although he is the most likely to be cut on this list, Brownlee can shock the depth chart if he manages to have a strong training camp.
Main Photo: [Vincent Carchietta] – USA Today Sports
