Expect a lot of tight end action by the Jets in 2018

It’s not often that you can make honest assessments based off a preseason game.  But, this is one of the rare occasions where New York Jets fans can confidently say they expect a lot of tight end production in 2018 after watching the preseason opener.

No, this is not an outlandish assessment, nor is it an isolated scenario. The New York Jets, and younger quarterbacks in general, seemingly tend to lean on tight ends more than others.

Well, that game plan and idea looks to continue in 2018 for Gang Green. Why? The team brought in tight ends like Clive Walford and Chris Herndon to join the already packed position. Also, Walford and fellow tight end Neal Sterling combined to catch six passes for 65 yards against the Falcons.

Herndon didn’t play in the first preseason game, but it sounds as though he has performed very well in training camp. Actually, Herndon has even caught the eye, and received praise, by former Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten. Yeah, that’s someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to the tight end position.

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But, heavy tight end usage by the Jets and NFL quarterbacks who are in the early stages of their careers has been a theme of recent years. So, Walford, Herndo, and company can expect a lot of action regardless of who is starting for the Jets at quarterback in Week 1.

First, let’s go all the way back to Mark Sanchez. Former Jets tight end Dustin Keller was Sanchez’s safety net for the first three years of the signal callers career.

In 2009 Keller finished second to Jerricho Cotchery for the team lead in receptions. Keller then led the Jets with receptions in both 2010 and 2011.

You may be thinking that Sanchez looked for Keller so much due to the design of the Jets playbook. However, Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott, Jameis Winston, and Marcus Mariota are four other quarterbacks who rely or have relied heavily on their tight ends early on in their careers.

Delanie Walker has been the Tennessee Titans leading receiver every season since Mariota’s NFL debut in 2015. Walker has hauled in 233 receptions in that time. Of course, Mariota has missed some games over the duration of his brief career, therefore some of those Walker receptions haven’t been thrown by the former Heisman winner.

Now let’s look at one of Mariota’s fellow draft class members, Winston. Winston hasn’t used his tight ends as drastically as Mariota or Sanchez, mainly because he has a Pro Bowl receiver in Mike Evans.

Regardless, Evans hasn’t stopped Winston from looking for Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate. Brate finished second in receptions in Winston’s second year in the NFL in 2016. Winston has since targeted his receivers more.

Rounding out the examples are two NFC East gunslingers in Wentz and Prescott. Like Mariota and Winston, Wentz and Prescott are draft classmates. In the two years that Wentz has been the starting quarterback for the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, tight end Zach Ertz has led the team in receptions each year.

Prescott? Essentially the same story. Unlike Ertz, former Cowboys tight end Witten didn’t lead his team in receptions the past two years. However, Witten did haul in the second most receptions for the Cowboys in 2016 and 2017.

While that may seem to be a limited example, it seems as though younger quarterbacks rely on their tight ends more. So, if you take that theme and add it to the Jets recent history of featuring a lot of tight end action, you can definitely expect a lot of looks for Gang Green tight ends in 2018. Especially if rookie Sam Darnold wins the starting job.