Young wide receivers shine in preseason opener

The New York Jets have a number of talented, young wide receivers on their roster, and a few of them really stood out during Thursday night’s preseason victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Throughout this offseason, the New York Jets have been expecting to see some significant growth out of their young wide receivers such as Quincy Enunwa, Charone Peake, Jalin Marshall, etc. These players have had their ups and downs to this point in the offseason, but they have shown that they’re talented.

During Thursday night’s preseason opener, the young receivers showcased their abilities to all of Jets nation in what was an eye-opening performance. They made their presence felt in different ways, and it was very exciting to watch.

Enunwa got the Jets’ offense going early as he caught two of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s three total completions for a total of 69 yards. Both plays were lofty passes through the middle of Jacksonville’s defense, which resulted in major yardage and a running back Bilal Powell touchdown to finish off the drive.

We already knew that the twenty-four-year old could be a role player, but it appears as if Enunwa could be taking the next step in his development. He has a combination of size and speed, which if used correctly, could be a deadly weapon. If Enunwa keeps on progressing, he could turn into one of the featured players within the Jets’ offense.

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Seventh round draft pick Peake out of Clemson was very impressive as well on Thursday night.

The rookie caught four passes for a total of 45 yards. He also had a beautiful touchdown catch in the second quarter, which came on a nice back-shoulder pass from quarterback Geno Smith.

Coming into the draft, Peake was a player who was projected to be drafted in the third round by many analysts.

Picking him up with their final draft pick was an absolute steal for the Jets, and it appears as if the selection may pay off as we watch Peake develop before our very eyes. He has become much more impactful as training camp progressed, and he is now on track to become a helpful piece for the Jets in 2016.

Marshall was undrafted and also stood out amongst the others during the first week of the preseason. While Marshall did only catch one pass for ten yards, his special teams performance was impressive.

Marshall had a kick return of about 80 yards, which was absolutely phenomenal as he made multiple defenders miss in order to get to Jacksonville’s 20-yard line.

In what has been a strangely normal training camp for the Jets, Marshall has been one of the few players to really stick out on both offense and special teams. Marshall has the potential to be a truly unique weapon for the Jets as he has the vision and speed of a good running back to go along with many desirable wide receiver traits. Expect Marshall to make the team, and continue his development as a player.

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At this point of the preseason process, the Jets are looking better than expected at the receiver position. They have a very nice blend of talent including a group of young players, who are looking very sharp. It will be interesting to see how these players continue to progress as training camp rolls on.

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