Jets sign Kohl Levao to active roster, reunite with Blake Grupe on practice squad

The New York Jets made some under-the-radar roster moves on Wednesday evening, signing offensive lineman Kohl Levao from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. They also signed defensive back Jordan Clark and kicker Blake Grupe to the practice squad, per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt.

For the first three weeks of the season, Levao was the only interior offensive lineman the Jets had on their practice squad. With the injury to starting left guard Dylan Parham, New York needs some insurance behind backup Jordan Meredith. Enter Levao.

Grupe and Clark were recently on the Jets' 53-man roster, but were released this past Tuesday. The Jets opted to move forward with Jason Sanders as their starting placekicker, but it's clear they still have some level of interest in maintaining competition at the position. Grupe has yet to kick in a game for New York this season.

Clark, on the other hand, appeared in the Jets' last two games, playing 17 special teams snaps. The Jets have obvious interest in continuing his development, as he's been a staple of the training camp roster for the last two years.

New York Jets getting a bit thin on the interior of their offensive line

There still hasn't been an official timeline for Parham's Week 3 injury suffered against the Detroit Lions. All we know is that it's a knee injury, he did not participate in Wednesday's practice, and that he is unlikely to play in New York's Week 4 matchup vs. the Chicago Bears.

That leaves Meredith, whom the Jets acquired on roster cutdown day in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, as a starter for the foreseeable future. If another injury pops up, it'll be Levao stepping in, which could be a recipe for disaster.

The former Hawaii standout has no regular-season NFL experience under his belt and has only ever played preseason football. Levao has been a staple of the Jets' practice squad dating back to the 2024 season.

Lack of depth on the interior didn't go unrecognized by Darren Mougey, though, which is why he signed two more bodies to the practice squad this past Tuesday in Nick Dawkins and Jimmy Morrissey.

Dawkins, an undrafted free agent rookie, spent the summer in Baltimore with the Ravens. Dawkins has a fairly elite athletic lineage, as he's a cousin of legendary Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns.

Morrissey at least has some experience, with 15 games and four starts under his belt in the NFL. He's likely next in line if anything happens to Meredith and/or Levao.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow