Jets biggest remaining weakness rears its ugly head at training camp

The New York Jets have done their best to patch up the team's biggest holes this offseason, and they've done a pretty good job of it.

Wide receiver was one of the team's biggest needs earlier in the spring, and the Jets addressed that fairly thoroughly, drafting Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft and signing veteran Tim Patrick shortly afterwards.

Even safety was a major question mark, and Darren Mougey made multiple experienced additions-- highlighted by former Pro Bowler Minkah Fitzpatrick, and supplemented by Andre Cisco and Dane Belton.

But one area the Jets have somewhat failed to address has begun to appear in training camp, particularly when Cade Klubnik and the Jets' second-team offense are on the field.

New York Jets IOL depth may end up hurting them down the line

Jets content creator Matt O'Leary, who was present at Jets practice this past Saturday, shared that second-team center Xavier Newman was "struggling with snaps," which should come as no surprise to long-time fans, since he's been with New York since 2023.

See, despite knowing what they have as insurance policies on the interior, the Jets opted not to make any meaningful additions at guard or center. And it could end up being a major mistake.

Right now, the Jets have their starting three in place from left to right with Dylan Parham, Josh Myers, and Joe Tippmann, which is a fine starting lineup on the interior.

But if one of those starters goes down with an injury, New York will have no choice but to turn to the likes of Newman, 2026 sixth-round draft pick Anez Cooper, or veteran journeyman Landon Young.

That's not exactly a good plan, and the Jets would be wise to make an addition of a player they can trust to start in place of one of their banged-up starters.

IOL free agents the New York Jets could target

Luckily for New York, there are still plenty of veterans available on the free agent market who could fill the need they're looking for.

One of the first names that comes to mind is Kevin Zeitler, who most recently played for the Tennessee Titans. At 36-years-old, you may not be able to rely on him as a 17-game starter, but he is certainly still serviceable as a spot starter.

Spotrac expects him to sign a one-year, $9.2 million contract, but considering how he is still unsigned this late in the offseason, he may end up being less expensive than that projection.

The Jets should either keep tabs on his market or go and outright sign him as soon as possible.

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