Jets fans won’t like who’s earning rave reviews at training camp

New York Jets fans are no strangers to training camp hype, but not every player's praise is received the same way. One of the most criticized players on last year’s roster is earning rave reviews from the Jets' new coaching staff, and it’s not sitting well with much of the fan base.

Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks went out of his way to tell reporters on Thursday that one player in particular is having an “outstanding camp.” That player is the much-maligned Micheal Clemons.

Yes, the same Micheal Clemons who started all 17 games last season, played over half of the team’s defensive snaps, and finished near the bottom of the league in nearly every statistical category.

With the Jets’ defensive end depth chart looking razor thin, Clemons is penciled in as the team's top backup behind a still-recovering Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald entering 2025.

That might be a tough pill for Jets fans to swallow, but based on the early returns, it seems clear the coaching staff isn’t ready to give up on him just yet.

Jets coaches continue to praise Micheal Clemons

Clemons was never drafted to be a full-time starter. A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Clemons quickly made a strong first impression as a rookie, posting a 78.7 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 23rd out of 119 qualified edge defenders.

It's easy to forget now, but he garnered a reputation as a fan favorite early on for his physicality and stoic demeanor, carving out a productive role as a rotational defensive end in a stacked Jets defensive line.

But that all changed come 2024. With Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers gone, Haason Reddick holding out, and Jermaine Johnson suffering an Achilles tear, Clemons was thrust into a role he simply wasn’t good enough for.

Clemons started all 17 games and played a career-high 54% of defensive snaps, and the results were disastrous. He finished the season with a 50.6 PFF grade, ranking 114th out of 119 edge defenders

His 46.6 run defense grade and 55.2 pass rush grade supported the notion that he struggled in every phase of the game. Jets fans turned on him quickly, and many have spent the offseason calling for his release.

But with the defensive end room once again thin behind Johnson and McDonald, Clemons seems like a safe bet to make the 53-man roster.

Rookie fifth-round pick Tyler Baron is in the mix but has yet to flash much this summer. Rashad Weaver has impressed at times but hasn’t recorded a sack since 2022. Former UDFAs Braiden McGregor and Eric Watts haven’t done much to separate themselves, either.

It’s far from an ideal situation, but Clemons may have a chance to redeem himself. The Jets are hoping that with a reduced role, Clemons can return to the form he showed earlier in his career.

And based on Wilks’ praise, that hope might not be totally misplaced.

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