Darren Mougey’s first Jets signing is making an unexpected run at key role

New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey made a number of notable additions in his first offseason on the job, but it was his first free-agent signing who quietly stole the show in the team's dominant 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers in Saturday's preseason opener.

Hybrid fullback/tight end Andrew Beck was the star of the Jets' opening drive of the summer, hauling in two catches for 36 yards and helping set up an eventual Justin Fields rushing touchdown.

Beck actually finished the game as the Jets' leading receiver and posted a stellar 93.6 Pro Football Focus grade. The only offensive player in the entire NFL to receive a higher PFF grade in Week 1 of the preseason was Ja'Marr Chase. Yes, that Ja'Marr Chase.

Beck didn’t just strengthen his case for a 53-man roster spot on Saturday, but he also showed he might be worthy of a permanent role as a fixture in the Jets’ offense this season.

Andrew Beck quickly carving out a role in the Jets' offense

A former first-team All-Big 12 selection at Texas, Beck entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and converted from tight end to fullback. He was waived by the New England Patriots that summer but soon found a home in Denver and became a regular contributor on offense.

Beck spent the first four years of his career in Denver, where he crossed paths with Mougey and even filled in at tight end after Greg Dulcich’s injury in 2022. He signed with the Houston Texans the following offseason, starting a career-high 12 games and playing 32% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2023.

Beck split time between the Texans and Packers in 2024 before signing with the Jets in early February, reuniting him with Mougey in the process. The signing went under the radar at the time, but Beck has a legitimate chance to earn a key role in the Jets' offense.

The Jets currently list Beck as a fullback, but if Saturday's game was any indication, the team likely has bigger plans for him. Just three of Beck's snaps came at fullback on Saturday, with eight coming as an in-line tight end and one even coming as a slot receiver. He was also utilized extensively on special teams.

The Jets find themselves thin at tight end entering 2025 and don't really have a reliable blocking tight end on their roster. Jeremy Ruckert is supposed to fill that role, but the Long Island native graded out as one of the worst blockers in football in 2024 and struggled in Saturday's preseason opener.

There's no reason why Beck can't take Ruckert's job and fill that role even more effectively. There's a real scenario where the Jets carry Beck on the 53-man roster as both their TE2 alongside rookie Mason Taylor and their starting fullback.

It's never wise to overreact to one preseason game, but Saturday's opener provided a glimpse into how the Jets internally view Beck. The offensive gameplan this weekend suggests the Jets have big plans for Mougey's first free-agent signing.

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