Jets young WR duo may force a rethink of the team’s offseason priorities

The New York Jets' wide receiver corps outside of Garrett Wilson was the laughing stock of the league heading into the 2025 season.

Allen Lazard struggled with his buddy Aaron Rodgers under center, so it was highly likely that he'd fare even worse as Rodgers moved on. Josh Reynolds had a decent floor, but very little ceiling. Tyler Johnson was an upside play that didn't have much, well, upside.

Finally, you had rookie Arian Smith being named as one of the draft's biggest reaches. Unsurprisingly, abysmal offense ensued. The general consensus was that wide receiver was going to be one of the Jets' biggest needs in the offseason, with the position potentially being addressed both in free agency and early on in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Things had gotten so bad that Darren Mougey couldn't sit on his hands any longer and dealt for a pair of young wideouts as the trade deadline approached. Those youngsters, John Metchie and Adonai Mitchell, still weren't expected to do much.

Despite impressive pedigrees as second-round picks, neither had been able to carve out a regular role with their previous clubs and had found themselves buried in talented wide receiver rooms. But hey, at least they weren't Allen Lazard.

It's been a few weeks now, and the conversation might be turning. Metchie has hit the ground running. Mitchell started slower, but his dominant breakout game in Week 13 was instrumental in the Jets' victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

John Metchie and Adonai Mitchell might be changing the Jets' offseason plans at wide receiver

The experts still see the Jets drafting a receiver high, with The Athletic's Dane Brugler mocking Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson to New York with the first of their two first-round picks. And to be fair, we're still early on in the Mitchell-Metchie era.

But the seeds are starting to sprout, and if they blossom, it could change the calculus. Metchie has been in Green and White for four games, and Mitchell has been here for three. The sample is small, but there are some things that have become apparent.

First is that Metchie has become a reliable safety valve. From Week 10 through Week 13, he's posted a 108.7 passer rating when targeted, the 32nd-best mark in the league. On routes of nine yards or fewer, he's posted a Pro Football Focus receiving grade of 82.8.

Second is that Mitchell has become a serious deep threat. From Week 11 through Week 13, he ranks 31st in yards per route run at 1.71 while leading the NFL in average depth of target at 19 yards.

These divergent skill sets complement the star of the show, Wilson, perfectly. Wilson is at his best working the intermediate portion of the field, where he can really get into a groove with his routes and pick up yards after the catch. Having two players whose skillsets complement his can make the unit stronger as a whole.

We'll still need to see more out of these two down the stretch. Nothing is set in stone simply because of a couple of hot games. The Jets also would be wise to add a solid veteran to the group in free agency, regardless.

However, the urgency to break the bank or pick a receiver high in the draft is dissipating, and this duo is a big reason why.