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Of course, New York could’ve had any quarterback not named Cam Ward in this year’s draft, and many remain skeptical about the team’s plan at quarterback. If Fields falters, the team would turn to 35-year-old journeyman Tyrod Taylor, who saw limited action in two games with the Jets last season.
What should fans expect from new head coach Aaron Glenn?
Like rival New England, New York hired a former player to run the team next season. But while Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has six years of experience as head coach of the Titans, Glenn spent the last four seasons as defensive coordinator of the Lions.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In 2021, Glenn took over a Lions defense that allowed a league-worst 32.4 points per game the year before. Last season, the team allowed 20.1 points per contest despite losing All-Pro edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a leg injury after five games.
Only the Eagles (278.4) and Titans (311.2) allowed less yards per game than the Jets (313.8) last season, which bodes well for a coach with Glenn’s mindset.
“One thing we know, we’re going to attack, we’ll be better against the run,” Glenn told reporters at the NFL owners meetings. “You look back at what I’ve done over the last couple of years in run defense, we’ve been pretty good in that aspect, so we’re going to try to continue to create that.”
Will Garrett Wilson be enough?
For the third straight year, Wilson led the Jets in receiving, totaling 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. Davante Adams also had seven scores and 854 yards in 11 games with the team but signed a two-year, $44M deal with the Rams in the offseason.
That leaves 29-year-old Allen Lazard, who made 37 catches for 530 yards last season, as New York’s No. 2 receiver. The team signed former Jaguar Josh Reynolds and former Ram Tyler Johnson to a pair of one-year deals in March, but neither are expected to have much impact.
Some thought the Jets would select Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the seventh pick in the draft, but the team opted for Missouri tackle Armand Membou instead. It did add LSU tight end Mason Taylor in the second round and Georgia receiver Arian Smith in the fourth round.
Smith may have 4.36 speed, but he needed three surgeries to repair a torn meniscus, broken fibula, fractured wrist and a high-ankle sprain in college. Older players like Keenan Allen, Tyler Boyd and Amari Cooper remain available as free agents, but for now, New York seems content to open the 2025 season with the receivers it has.
