Former Joe Douglas draft bust might be playing his way off the Jets

The 2022 NFL Draft will likely go down as the best thing Joe Douglas ever did for the New York Jets. That class delivered multiple franchise cornerstones and helped reshape the roster’s foundation for years to come. But while that weekend produced some undeniable hits, not every selection has lived up to the hype.

Former third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert has fallen short of expectations since entering the NFL in 2022. The Long Island native quickly became a fan favorite due to his hometown hero status, but his production on the field never matched the hype.

Ruckert enters the 2025 summer competing with rookie second-round pick Mason Taylor for the starting tight end job, but even with the LSU product out nursing a high-ankle sprain, this doesn't appear to be much of a competition.

Ruckert’s shaky summer continued Thursday when he dropped an on-target pass from Justin Fields that was tipped into the air and intercepted by Brandon Stephens. It was the only interception of Thursday's practice, and the blame was solely on Ruckert.

Jeremy Ruckert's Jets roster spot isn't as secure as you might think

Ruckert garnered a reputation as a standout blocker during his time at Ohio State, but many believed there was plenty of untapped potential with the Lindenhurst product as a receiver as well.

The Jets took a gamble on that upside, selecting Ruckert with the 101st overall pick in the same draft class that netted the team Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson, and Breece Hall. Unfortunately, he's never been able to come close to matching their NFL production.

Ruckert has managed just 35 career catches for 264 yards and zero touchdowns through the first three seasons of his career. The Jets haven't seen growth from him as a receiver, and even more importantly, he's never been able to distinguish himself as a blocker either.

Despite his reputation as the Jets' "blocking tight end," Ruckert was statistically one of the worst blockers at his position in the NFL last season. His 39.0 Pro Football Focus run-block grade ranked 72nd out of 73 qualified tight ends in 2024.

This isn't exactly a new trend for Ruckert, either. He finished the 2023 season with a lowly 55.0 PFF run-block grade, which was also below-average leaguewide. The narrative that he's a traditional blocking tight end seems to be based more in fiction than reality.

The Jets don't have many better alternatives under contract, so Ruckert's roster spot might still be safe. Taylor is the likely TE1 to open the season, but the only other tight ends on the roster are free-agent addition Stone Smartt, former seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz, and ex-UDFA Neal Johnson.

Some have speculated that the Jets could use the waiver wire post-roster cuts to address the position and add a legitimate blocking tight end to the roster. Others have suggested the team could use hybrid fullback/tight end Andrew Beck in that role.

Either way, Ruckert may be on the verge of playing himself off the roster if he continues to struggle this summer. It would be a disappointing outcome for the Long Island native, who once seemed destined to carve out a long career with his hometown team.

Unfortunately, not all fairytales have happy endings. Ruckert’s could end with him on the outside looking in when final cuts arrive.

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