Jets fans will love the team’s latest practice squad additions

This offseason, fans of the New York Jets fell in love with a trio of undrafted receivers: Brandon Smith, Quentin Skinner, and Jamaal Pritchett. All three quickly made their presence felt this summer to the point where fans were hoping to see their preseason darlings would crack the final 53-man roster over players like Malachi Corley and Xavier Gipson.

But the news that Allen Lazard was healthy dashed those hopes. Gipson claimed the only vacant spot in the wide receiver room, but had already moved ahead of Corley in the receiver pecking order.

While Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey were okay cutting ties with the 2024 third-round pick, they moved swiftly to ensure the fan favorites did not slip away.

The trio’s flashes this summer were more than enough to earn spots on Gang Green’s practice squad, which is great news for a fanbase that wanted them around, but even better for the new regime in Florham Park.

The Jets re-signed Brandon Smith, Quentin Skinner, and Jamaal Pritchett to the practice squad

In the modern NFL, retaining developmental talent in-house while maintaining competition at the bottom of the depth chart is exactly how you build a strong roster.

And with the Jets’ receiver room among the weakest in the NFL, it is not unthinkable that these guys could be promoted to the NFL roster sooner rather than later.

However, with Tyler Johnson also on the practice squad, they might have to wait in line for their opportunity on Sundays. Skinner led all Jets receivers with 114 receiving yards during the preseason, which was headlined by a beautiful touchdown grab against the Giants, while Smith didn’t finish far behind.

The former Iowa wideout led the team with 10 receptions while finishing with one less yard than Skinner, and many considered him the most impressive of the three. However, it was Pritchett who possessed the best opportunity to make the roster.

The 22-year-old lost the punt returner battle to Gipson despite impressing on punt return duties, all while being a more impressive receiver than his main competition.

It’s rare for three undrafted players at the same position to spark this much excitement, but the Jets found a rare diamond in the rough with these three. Maybe it’s the overt lack of excitement at wide receiver for the Jets, but they’ve still given fans a reason to be excited about their development.

In a season where the Jets desperately need new playmakers to emerge, keeping this trio in the building might prove to be one of the smartest moves Glenn and Mougey make entering 2025.

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