Jets have a secret weapon at WR that nobody is talking about

The New York Jets’ wide receiver room is far from settled entering 2025 training camp. After moving on from veterans like Davante Adams in the offseason, the team enters the summer with a handful of open roster spots and plenty of questions behind star Garrett Wilson.

Veteran addition Tyler Johnson is one of several depth receivers competing for a job, and he has a real opportunity to carve out a role on offense with a strong performance this summer.

At 26 years old, Johnson brings more experience and production than most of the players he’s battling with, and in a thin receiver group, that might be enough to separate him.

This is the first installment in a new series on The Jet Press, breaking down Jets roster bubble players ahead of training camp. Each piece will spotlight a different player fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster, starting with Johnson’s intriguing case.

Tyler Johnson may be the hidden weapon of the Jets' WR corps

A former high school quarterback turned college star, Johnson made history at Minnesota, finishing his career as the Golden Gophers’ all-time leader in both receiving yards and touchdowns. He topped 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of his final two collegiate seasons, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2018 and 2019.

That production led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to select Johnson in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He carved out a rotational role as a rookie on a Super Bowl-winning roster before breaking out slightly in 2021 with 36 catches for 360 yards.

Despite a strong summer in 2022, Johnson was a surprise cut and was quickly scooped up by the Houston Texans, beginning a stretch where he bounced around the league for a few years.

It wasn't until he caught on with the Los Angeles Rams that he finally found his footing again in the NFL. Johnson finished the 2024 season with 26 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown, easily his most productive season since 2021.

He's made the most of his limited targets, too, catching 13-of-19 contested-catch opportunities in his NFL career per Pro Football Focus. He wasn't credited with a single drop on 39 targets last year and hasn't dropped a pass since the 2021 season.

That efficiency clearly caught the eye of Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who saw Johnson’s 79-yard performance against his Detroit Lions defense in Week 1 of last season up close. Glenn reportedly played a role in bringing the 26-year-old to New York this offseason, and it’s easy to see why.

The Jets’ wide receiver depth chart is wide open with just four presumed roster locks — Garrett Wilson, Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard (assuming he isn’t traded), and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith.

Johnson will be competing with the likes of Malachi Corley (who missed much of the spring with an undisclosed injury), Xavier Gipson, Irvin Charles, Brandon Smith, and UDFAs like Jamaal Pritchett and Quentin Skinner.

Johnson is easily the most experienced among the depth wide receivers on the Jets' roster. His sure hands and wide catch radius give him a legitimate shot not just to make the roster, but to earn reps in a complementary role on offense.

What's working against Johnson is his lack of experience as a special-teams contributor. He's played just 10 total special-teams snaps over the last three years combined.

Still, the Jets need dependable weapons in their receiving corps behind Wilson. If Johnson can pick up where he left off last season and build on that momentum this summer, there’s a realistic chance he becomes a key piece of this offense in 2025.

It would be surprising if Johnson doesn’t secure a spot on the 53-man roster this summer. In a wide-open receiver room, he has a strong chance not only to stick, but to earn real snaps once the season begins.

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