3 fringe roster candidates making a name for themselves in NY Jets training camp

The NY Jets added plenty of talent on both sides of the football using free agency, trades, and the draft this past offseason. When Gang Green hit the practice field to begin training camp last week, a few of their new pieces were on full display making an immediate impact.

However, there are a few Jets not getting much recognition on the roster bubble that have made a large impact through the first week of practices. Today, let's take a look at the three Jets who are making a strong case for the 53-man roster early this summer.

Takk McKinley, DE, NY Jets

Takkarist 'Takk' McKinley has quickly become one of the biggest surprises for the Jets to start the summer. McKinley is a former 2017 first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, whose career hasn't exactly been smooth.

The UCLA standout started his NFL career strong with 13 sacks through his first 31 games in Atlanta. However, he followed that up with just 4.5 sacks over his next two seasons. This led to McKinley bouncing between five different NFL teams from the middle of 2020 until the end of 2023.

The 28-year-old edge rusher was a non-roster invite to the Jets' mandatory minicamp who impressed the organization enough to get a contract for training camp. To say the former first-round pick has been dominant would be an understatement.

On Saturday, McKinley tallied two sacks and a pressure to raise his total to six sacks through the first week of camp. McKinley has been primarily working with the third-team defense but could see more second-team and maybe a few first-team reps to reward his performances.

New York's defensive line is crowded for McKinley, especially once Haason Reddick gets his contract situation resolved. However, six sacks in four practices cannot be overlooked and even if it isn't for the Jets, McKinley is making a strong case to make someone's 53-man roster.

Malik Taylor, WR, NY Jets

Another former Green Bay Packer not named Aaron Rodgers has impressed for the New York Jets so far this summer. Malik Taylor, a former 2019 UDFA, enters his fourth NFL season. Taylor spent his first year in the NFL on Green Bay's practice squad following a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It wasn't until 2020 and 2021 that Taylor saw regular-season action with the Packers appearing in 25 games and hauling in seven receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. Taylor was released before the 2022 campaign and signed onto the Jets practice late that season.

In 2023, Taylor spent the majority of the year on the Jets practice squad, although he did play in three games tallying two receptions for 13 yards. Entering this summer, Taylor remained a roster bubble player and so far is making a strong case to make the team.

With Xavier Gipson out for 1-2 weeks with an injury, Taylor has stepped up with more reps. The 28-year-old has made a few nice 20+ yard grabs in 7-on-7 drills and on Friday the wideout took off. Taylor caught two touchdown passes, a 50-yard touchdown thrown by Tyrod Taylor, and a touchdown in the red zone thrown by Aaron Rodgers.

New York enters the 2024 campaign relatively top-heavy at receiver with questions surrounding the team's depth. With more reps to come as padded practices begin this week, Taylor will look to sustain this success.

Tarik Cohen, RB, NY Jets

Robert Saleh spoke Saturday afternoon on what he has seen from Tarik Cohen saying "He looks good man, he's got his juice back." Cohen's career started strong but has been quickly derailed due to multiple major injuries.

These injuries have caused Cohen to miss the past three seasons entirely. The last game Cohen played in was Week 3 of 2020. Cohen signed with the Jets in late May and has made a mark so far in camp.

The former fourth-round pick has broken out a few nice runs showing off his ability to reach another gear when he gets to the second level of the defense. One of Cohen's best runs came when the play looked broken at Thursday's practice and Cohen was able to cut back upfield and turn it into a 10-12 yard gain.

The running back is also a special teams threat who has accumulated 1,613 return yards in his career. Cohen has rotated in on punt and kick returns during practice. The fourth running back spot is currently a three-man battle between Cohen, Israel Abanikanda, and Xazavian Valladay. All signs point towards Cohen winning the battle so far.

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