New York Jets: Ranking the 53-man roster — No. 14 Jonotthan Harrison

As another lost New York Jets season unfolds, it’s time to evaluate this 53-man roster. This daily ranking continues with No. 14, center Jonotthan Harrison.

The New York Jets‘ best center on their roster for the past three seasons has been six-year veteran Jonathan Harrison.

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The 6-foot-4, 300-pound snapper has had to wait patiently for starting time, and when thrust into play, has anchored the team’s leaky sieve of an offensive line.

The previous Jets’ front office ruined this offense through its inability and unwillingness to invest heavily in the offensive line.

After all, it was former general manager Mike Maccagnan who felt it was a wise football decision to replace Nick Mangold with a sordid succession of Wesley Johnson and Spencer Long.

In 2017 and 2018, the un-flashy, blue-collar Harrison rose to the occasion. He contributed to all 16 games in 2018, starting seven at center and one at left guard.

Gang Green began 2019 with new general manager Joe Douglas’ Ryan Kalil fiasco and a putrid 1-6 start. At that point, the Jets turned to the undrafted Florida Gator and former Indianapolis Colts center who responded by playing 100% of the offensive snaps over the final nine games.

In his 679 snaps, Harrison allowed three penalties and zero sacks and earned a decent 51.4 Pro Football Focus rating. That rating speaks directly to Harrison’s deficiencies — derided for his weakness handling behemoth 3-4 nose guards in his grill.

Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains extolled the veteran center for his play in 2019.

“Jonotthan deserves a heck of a lot of credit, because when he wasn’t playing, he really worked his tail off. He stood behind the quarterbacks, made the calls, and made the MIKE [linebacker] declarations. When his opportunity came back around, he was ready for it and he made the most of it.”

Going into his seventh pro season, Harrison remains the New York Jets’ most durable lineman. While he’s not an All-Pro like Mangold nor a Hall of Famer like Kevin Mawae, he’s versatile, powerful and consistent — and he continues to the job done.

You can rest assured that Douglas and company know that Harrison — going into the final year of his two-year, $5 million Gang Green pact — deserves a roster spot, even in a reserve role, for the 2020 season.