Jets 2018 Season Preview

This thread will include the hits and misses of the Jets offseason and an in depth look at how the team could fare in the upcoming season.

OFFSEASON REVIEW

Big Moves

• The Jets Traded up in the Draft, acquiring the #3 overall pick. "After the deal for Jared Goff fell apart with the Rams we knew QB would be focus for the Draft," GM Wyrmreaver said, "It was a deep class of QBs but we felt like Baker (Mayfield) really seperated himself in the process leading up to the Draft, but people were still talking mostly about the Pac 12 guys (Rosen and Darnold)." The GM went on to explain why they felt the need to move into the top 5. "When the clutchology101 , the Broncos GM announced that they had found their guy in the draft and were moving up to #13 to get him, I just had a sinking feeling that Baker was their target. So we got on the phone with pretty much every club with picks 1-12 to try and slip in ahead of them, it just turned out the Ravens were the ones ready to make a deal." The deal was that the Jets got the #3 pick and hte Ravens got the 25th pick, the Jets 1st rounder next year, and stud DT/DE Mohamed Wilkerson, a steep price to pay, but one that the Jets front office feels was worth it. I know lot of folks were surprised to see Baker taken before Rosen, Jackson, and Darnold, but he's the kind of guy we think we can build around and who can make our team competitive in the long term.
  
• The Team made a change on defense, hiring Seattle linebackers coach Michael Barrow as their new Defensive Coordinator and signaling a move from the 3-4 to the 4-3.

Key Departures

• DT Mohamed Wilkerson - Traded to the Ravens
• QB Josh McCown - retired

Key FA Additions

• HB Isaiah Crowell - The big back from Cleveland had over 1500 yards rushing and 15 TDs for the Browns last season. At only 25 years old, the Jets feel like he can be their feature back for the foreseeable future.
• FB Derrick Coleman - A veteran player who is athletic for the position and should help give the team a more physical running game.
• DE Cassius Marsh - A high effort player who is familiar with Coach Barrow's defense, Marsh will be in the rotation right away and is one of the more effective edge rushers on the roster heading into this season.
• DE Jonathan Newsome - Another pass rusher who figures into the new 4-3 rotation right away.

Other Notables

• WR Quincy Enunwa - After missing all of last season due to injuries, Quincy returns to give the Jets a solid core of talent at WR going into this season

Draft

• 1st round, pick 3 - QB Baker Mayfield - The Jets feel like he was the best QB in the draft and he immediately steps in as the face of the franshise.
• 2nd round, pick 25 - DE/OLB Marcus Davenport - A small school kid with a lot of raw talent, the team plans to get him on the field in a couple different ways and see if he can develop into the stud they think he can be.
• 2nd round, pick 32 - DT Tavon Bryan - this was a need pick and probably a reach. The team didnt have enough DTs on the roster for camp and most of their top targets were gone so they took Bryan. Early news from Camp is that he will be a depth player
• 3rd round, pick 25 - OG Cody O'Connell - a massive player, nicknamed 'the Continent' in college, Cody was a consensus All American and a guy the Jets felt was underrated (looking at you majesty95 ) in the Draft. O'Connell should develop into a solid pro and has an outside shot of being an opening day starter
• 5th round, pick 12 - CB MJ Stewart - A versatile athlete who could play safety or corner, MJ should be a nickel or dime corner for the Jets, though some of the coaches are saying he could start after being impressive in early workouts.
• 5th round, pick 25 - OT Zachary Crabtree - Given the Jets lack of depth and talent up front, Crabtree should get a look and see some playing time as a rookie.
• 6th round, pick 25 - WR Deebo Samuel - The Jets didn't come into the draft intending to take a WR, but the front office felt that the value of Deebo in the 6th was too good to pass up on. He's looked good in OTA's and should get plenty of opportunities in the preseason to try and earn playing time in the regular season.
• 7th round, pick 32 - OT Cole Madison - Mr irrelevant is a big blocker who needs a lot of work to develop into a serviceable pro, but he should have every opportunity to prove his worth for the Jets this season.

Verdict

After a surprising 10-6 record in 2017, this team seems to have improved on paper. If Mayfield is able to cash in on his potential sooner rather than later, this team could find themselves in the playoffs again after the 2018 season.

Since you tagged me, O'Connell was a preseason 5th round pick according to Draft Scout. He's also unathletic which is problematic in the NFL. Look at Phil Loadholdt. Remember him? Yeah most people don't

With that being said, he's still a 72 OVR with 80 PBK which is well inline with 2nd-4th round selections...

2018 Jets Offense

Quarterback
Baker Mayfield (78 OVR, Quick Dev, Clutch trait, 23 years old) - The #3 overall pick in the draft, Baker steps in as the day 1 starter. The Jets front office is excited about having a long term answer at quarterback. The plan is to mostly play conservatively and try to establish the run as we develop Mayfield but at the same time with his ability not only to throw, but also his athleticism and clutch ability we feel confident that we can move the ball in the air when we need to.


Halfback
Isaiah Crowell (88 OVR, quick dev, 25 years old) - Crowell was the crown jewel of the Jets free agency pickups. Crowell gained over 1500 yards as a Brown last year and will be the feature back in a run first attack in New York. Crowell brings a fantastic combination of power running and make you miss elusiveness. The addition of Crowell was vital for the future of this offense and to take the pressure off of their rookie QB.
Matt Forte (83 OVR, 32 years old) - Forte has definitely lost a step and is no longer the dominant runner he once was in Chicago, but he is still an excellent receiver for a HB, is solid in pass protection and can spell Crowell and get meaningful carries. Matt missed 5 games due to injury last year, but still gained 561 yards with 8 TDs for the Jets last year.
Marlon Mack (75 OVR, 22 years old) - The Jets picked up Mack off of the scrap heap early last season and he has been an effective change of pace runner for them so far. Mack is a finesse runner and is unlikely to run anyone over, but he will get touches for this team as they groom him to be the #2 HB in the future.


Wide Receiver/Tight End
Quincy Enunwa (80 OVR, 26 years old) - The WR corps was thin last season in a large part because Quincy was lost for the year with a preseason injury. The Jets signed Enunwa to a new deal while he was in rehab and he comes back this year looking to make good on the promise he showed in 2016 when he caught 58 balls for 857 yards. With his combination of size and speed, the Jets expect Enunwa to be one of Mayfield's favorite targets this season.
Jermaine Kearse (82 OVR, 28 years old) - Kearse was brought in just before last year from Seattle and had his best season as a pro for the Jets with over 750 yards receiving. Kearse is in a contract year and with the number of young players on the depth chart he will have to have a great start this year for the Jets to put a lot of effort into bringing him back.
Robby Anderson (76 OVR, 25 years old) - Robby had a nice year last season, leading the Jets in receiving yards at 890. He moves into the slot this year where his speed should set up mismatches throughout the year.
Ardarius Stewart (75 OVR, 24 years old) - Stewart is not particularly fast, but he has good hands in traffic and can be effective when he isn't asked to be a featured receiver. He caught 34 balls last year, but his role will be diminished with the return of Enunwa.
Deebo Samuel (72 OVR, 22 years old) - The rookie out of South Carolina was a late round pick but he is a player the team thinks will be on the roster for the long haul. He is a solid kick returner and while he doesnt stand out as a receiver, he is adequate for a young player and could develop into a contributor over the next couple of seasons.
Will Tye, TE (80 OVR, 26 years old) - Tye is short by TE standards at just 6'2" but he has excellent athleticism and created mismatches with most LBs. He isnt a star, but he is a steady player that defenses have to account for.


Offensive Line
This is the teams biggest weak spot on offense. Guards James Carpenter and Brian Winters are both solid players, but the other 3 positions on the line are question marks. The hope is that Crowell and Mayfield can use their abilities to mask the lack of talent up front. If there is a spot that will derail this offense this season, its the line.