3 standouts and 2 duds from NY Jets first joint practice with Panthers
By Justin Fried
![NY Jets, Allen Lazard NY Jets, Allen Lazard](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2390,h_1344,x_0,y_482/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/30/01h7e4yjtzb93mdqdp9p.jpg)
Standout: Brandin Echols, CB, NY Jets
With Sauce Gardner sidelined due to a minor quad injury, Brandin Echols stepped into a starting role alongside D.J. Reed in Wednesday's practice, and he made the most of his opportunity.
Echols stepped in front of a late Bryce Young pass and intercepted it for a pick-six in 11-on-11 drills. He later helped break up a pass downfield from Young toward the end of practice.
Echols will be suspended for the first game of the regular season, but he remains the Jets' top backup cornerback. The Jets' starting trio obviously gets most of the attention, but the team has impressive depth at the position as well.
Echols reminded everyone of that on Wednesday.
Dud: Billy Turner, OT, NY Jets
The Jets' offensive line was the weak link on Wednesday, and while Max Mitchell had his issues, Billy Turner wasn't much better at right tackle. Rodgers was under pressure for most of the afternoon.
While Turner wasn't tagged with allowing a "sack," he was a constant source of pressure. The first-team offensive line was bad, and that ultimately came down to the performance of the team's two starting tackles.
Neither Mitchell nor Turner has proven that they are worthy of a starting job this season. Despite his struggles, Turner is probably still the favorite to start Week 1 at right tackle, if only due to his experience with Nathaniel Hackett.
The Jets need to see more from their offensive line this summer. Duane Brown's return will help, but unless Turner of Mitchell improves, this could become a recurring issue for the team.
manual