Jets rookies are on the rise at training camp (while 1 young player on the way out)

The New York Jets are back at training camp as they prepare for the 2026 season, which is once again the catalyst for some young players getting the fanbase excited and some disappointing everyone.

The three first-round rookies have all flashed positively, per Will Parkinson. David Bailey forced an incompletion by getting into the backfield and made a stop in the running game, while newly healthy tight end Kenyon Sadiq has made impact plays as a pass-catcher and run blocker. Wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has been utilized in the passing and running game, per Parkinson.

Fourth-round quarterback Cade Klubnik has been up-and-down, but he had his shining moment ruined by a young player who appears to be on his way out of town. Klubnik ripped a beautiful deep shot down the field with velocity, but much-maligned second-year speedster Arian Smith dropped it. Smith still hasn't fixed his poor hands from college.

Jets rookies shine despite horrible Arian Smith drop at training camp

Smith always had great speed, but his lack of production at Georgia was due to an inability to win based on pure route-running and some painful drop issues. He wasn't targeted enough in 2025 to see if he put in the work to overcome those issues, and the early returns suggest that he hasn't.

The only way Smith is going to stay on the roster is if he can prove himself on special teams, which is quite a fall from grace for a player the Jets selected high in the fourth round just one year ago. Cooper, Garrett Wilson, and Adonai Mitchell are the top three; veteran Tim Patrick has WR4 locked down, and Isaiah Williams' return ability locked him in. Smith is fighting a parade of UDFAs for his roster spot.

The hype around Sadiq has died down a bit when compared to Bailey and Cooper due to a hernia keeping him sidelined for minicamp, but the Jets are finding out why the Oregon product was such a hyped tight end prospect. Sadiq making plays as a blocker is very encouraging, as that could help him get on the field along with his upside as a pass-catcher.

Klubnik would get picked off by backup linebacker Mykal Walker, but that came on a tipped pass. In a wide-open QB2 race that also features veteran Bailey Zappe and below-par UDFA Brady Cook, Klubnik is doing everything he can to show that he should be the one who wins this starting job.

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