After a busy offseason of adding All-Pros, such as pass rusher Haason Reddick and LT Tyron Smith, and the return of QB Aaron Rodgers from his torn Achilles tendon, the Jets roster appears to be one of the most complete in the NFL from top to bottom.
Still more than a month from the start of training camp, Pro Football Focus ranked the Jets‘ roster the fourth-best in the league, behind, in order, the 49ers, the Chiefs and the Eagles.
“If the offensive line improves and Aaron Rodgers is healthy, the Jets are an extremely talented team,” PFF Analyst Jim Wyman wrote. “They already have arguably the best defense in the NFL. As was the case last year, any scenario where they miss the postseason is a disappointment.”
PFF focused on each team’s biggest strength and for the Jets highlighted their stellar pass defense. Led by the elite cornerback trio of All-Pro Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed and Michael Carter II, the Jets allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the league in last season (168.3) and fourth-fewest passing touchdowns (11).
“The Jets ranked first in the NFL in coverage grade and sixth in pass-rush grade last season,” Wyman wrote. “They boast elite players in both units, including C.J. Mosley and Quinnen Williams. All of the foundational pieces return, and their defense is absolutely lethal when they are ahead late in games.”
The biggest question for New York, according to PFF, is its offensive line. However, during free agency, the Jets added a future Hall of Famer in Smith and acquired a pair of former Ravens in LG John Simpson and RT Morgan Moses.
“Offensively, the Jets struggled to block people in 2023,” PFF Analyst Dalton Wasserman wrote. “Their offensive line suffered a rash of injuries and finished the season with the second-worst overall grade in the league. They enter this year with hopes of significant improvement.”
PFF projects to the Jets to surpass 9.5 wins and listed Rodgers as the team’s X-Factor if they hope to reach their goal of playing in the postseason.
“Assuming the team’s offensive line is fixed, Aaron Rodgers is the key for New York to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010,” Wasserman wrote. “Rodgers played just four snaps last season before suffering a torn Achilles. If he is recovered and plays like a top-10 quarterback, the Jets become another dangerous team in a loaded AFC.”