Frank Reich and the Jets have an obvious breakout candidate hiding in plain sight

Lost among the well-deserved Adonai Mitchell hype has been the rise of another young New York Jets receiver.

Isaiah Williams repeatedly impressed throughout the offseason, and his training with Olympic sprinters definitely paid off. He caught the onsite reporters’ attention during an August 8 scrimmage after beating the defense on a 66-yard touchdown pass from rookie Cade Klubnik.

We already know that the 25-year-old Williams will contribute on special teams and return punts. But as things stand, we won’t be surprised to see Williams play a greater role in the passing game than rookie Omar Cooper Jr.

Isaiah Williams could become Frank Reich and the New York Jets’ latest breakout candidate

By now, you’re likely familiar with Williams’ story and path to redemption. Despite being released after two return errors in a September loss to the Dolphins, Williams rejoined the team less than a month later and became a pivotal weapon as both a receiver and returner. 

Upon resuming his duties, Williams returned two punts for touchdowns and earned Jets team MVP honors. Offensively, Williams had 26 catches for 193 yards and potentially profiles as the No. 3 receiver behind Mitchell and Garrett Wilson.

Admittedly, the Jets’ receiving plans beyond those two are slightly complicated. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich loves throwing to the tight ends, which should mean extra targets for Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert, though the latter’s strengths come more from blocking.

. Although Jets coach Aaron Glenn said he expects Kenyon Sadiq to play against the Titans next Sunday, the No. 16 pick missed all of training camp and the preseason with a hernia injury.

Cooper, whom the Jets traded up to land at No. 30 overall this past April, will also factor into the Jets’ receiver rotation. We’re nonetheless keeping our eyes on Williams, especially after he earned Aaron Glenn’s praise following that August 8 practice.

"Players like that demand respect [and] they demand reps."

Aaron Glenn

The old cliché is that respect is earned, not given, and the same often goes for touches. Williams has worked his way up after going undrafted in 2024 and previously battled through a position change, switching from quarterback to receiver at Illinois. 

“As guys see that you’re dependable and they can trust you, more is gonna come,” Williams said in August. “Whatever my role is, I want to be a master at it. And if you do that, all the glory will come.”

That’s what Reich and Glenn should want to hear, and it’s exactly the mindset that has Williams on the path to making a difference offensively. 

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