3 most surprising NY Jets standouts through three weeks

The NY Jets are 2-1 to start the 2024 season for the first time since 2015, with back-to-back wins over the Titans and Patriots. It has been an impressive start for Gang Green, considering they opened up the season with three games in 11 days.

While the main story has been Aaron Rodgers performing like his vintage self, a few surprise performers deserve much-needed credit and attention so far this season.

1. Allen Lazard, WR, NY Jets

After signing a four-year contract with the New York in March of 2023, Lazard followed it up with a career-worst season. The veteran wideout's 47.9% catch rate and 17.9% drop rate finished dead last among 83 qualified receivers. He also only tallied 311 receiving yards, the lowest total since his rookie season when he only appeared in one game.

Fast forward to one year later and three games with a healthy Rodgers, Allen Lazard has made a complete 180. The 28-year-old has already hauled in 11 receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns. His 11 receptions and 148 yards rank second among Jets receivers and leads all Jets wideouts with those three touchdowns.

Considering there was a possibility of Lazard either being cut or traded before the off-season, these first three games have been the biggest surprise of the early season.

As the Aaron Rodgers-Garrett Wilson connection continues to get stronger and Mike Williams gets healthier, Lazard playing at this level becomes a luxury that New York didn't think they would have had before the season.

2. Will McDonald, DE, NY Jets

After a difficult first two weeks with standout pass rusher Haason Reddick still holding out and Jermaine Johnson going down, the Jets broke out on Thursday night.

The unit up front tallied seven sacks against Jacoby Brissett and rookie Drake Maye while holding the run game in check. This outbreak was headlined by 2022 first-round pick, Will McDonald.

McDonald tallied two sacks, one tackle for loss, and four QB hits in primetime. This performance followed a three-sack performance from McDonald a week earlier in Tennessee.

In three games, the 25-year-old has five sacks, which ranks second in the NFL, and leads the Jets. To put that into perspective, McDonald had just three sacks in 15 games during his rookie year.

Whether you liked the McDonald pick and believed in him going into this season or not, this elite level of play comes as a surprise. McDonald isn't just putting up solid production he is playing like a top-5 player at the position.

If the second-year pass rusher can continue this dominance, it will go a long way in softening the blow of Jermaine Johnson's injury and the continued absence of Reddick.

3. Jamien Sherwood, LB, NY Jets

With veteran C.J. Mosley missing parts of the teams' first two games and all of Thursday night's showdown against New England, Jamien Sherwood has stepped up hugely. Sherwood, a 2021 fifth-round pick, has been able to make a successful transition from safety where he played in college to linebacker.

In Week 2, Sherwood stepped in for Mosley and tallied 12 total tackles, four run stops, and a tackle for loss. The 24-year-old followed that performance up with an impressive outing against New England, where he tallied five tackles and a 77.8 PFF coverage grade, which ranked second on the team.

Mosley missing time has certainly been a surprise, considering the veteran has only missed one game since 2021. However, the bigger and more promising surprise has been the development of Sherwood, who has shown flashes in his previous three seasons. This year, he is finally putting together consistent production in the absence of Mosley.

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