Garrett Wilson faces superstar challenge that could define Jets' Week 1

Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets will open up the 2025 season with an AFC showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Jets and Steelers will have plenty of matchups to watch for on both sides of the football.

The Jets and Steelers both saw significant changes to their respective rosters during the offseason. One of the biggest changes came in the Steelers' secondary when the team acquired Jalen Ramsey as part of a blockbuster trade.

Jalen Ramsey is a familiar name for Jets fans, as the All-Pro cornerback spent the last two seasons in the division with the Dolphins. On Sunday, Ramsey will match up with Garrett Wilson again in a battle that should favor New York.

Garrett Wilson will look to continue his success against Jalen Ramsey in the Jets' opener

Despite everything that has happened around Garrett Wilson, three years into his NFL career, the young wideout has remained near the top of his position. Wilson enters his fourth season now with a new contract, looking to start his 2025 campaign with another impressive performance against Jalen Ramsey.

In two matchups last season against Ramsey, Wilson hauled in seven of nine targets (77%) for 137 yards and six first downs. The Ohio State product also registered 58 yards after the catch, which was 42% of the total 137 yards.

On the other side, Ramsey committed a pass interference penalty and had just one pass breakup against Wilson. At 30, soon to be 31 years old, the former All-Pro corner is clearly not the same player he once was.

Wilson's ability to beat Ramsey last season on vertical routes, intermediate routes, and on screens shows the clear regression and inability to slow down Wilson in Ramsey's game.

One of the biggest areas that has seen a decline in performance when examining Ramsey's game is his tackling. Last season, the veteran corner missed a career high 14 tackles, which resulted in a 19.4% missed tackle rate and a 43.0 Pro Football Focus tackling grade, both the worst marks in his career.

When looking at the Jets receivers behind Garrett Wilson, there are many question marks. The importance of getting Wilson involved early and often on Sunday against Ramsey is a huge factor in the Jets' chances.

Getting the newly paid wideout in space against Ramsey and making him miss in the open field will go a long way for the green and white.

More NY Jets news and analysis: