3 standouts and 2 duds from third NY Jets open-media OTA practice

The NY Jets hosted their third of four OTA sessions open to the media on Tuesday, and with mandatory minicamp officially canceled, this was one of the last times anyone outside the organization would get a look at the team before training camp.

Aaron Rodgers returned to practice in an almost full capacity, taking part in all aspects with the exception of 11-on-11 team drills. Rodgers connected on a few difficult passes and was particularly effective in red-zone drills.

That said, he isn't someone we're going to be discussing in this article. It's always difficult to gauge the performance of players during OTAs, but these five players all stood out for better or worse.

Let's take a look at a few of the most notable standouts and duds from the Jets' third open-media OTA session of the spring.

Standout: Jermaine Johnson, DE, NY Jets

When the Jets traded up to select Jermaine Johnson in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the team clearly had high hopes for him. Johnson flashed a bit as a rookie, but he was an often overlooked part of the Jets' defensive line rotation.

That could be set to change in 2023. Johnson reportedly "looks faster" this spring, per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt, and his improved physical conditioning is already paying dividends.

Johnson recorded an unofficial sack of backup quarterback Tim Boyle in Tuesday's practice. Earlier in the day, Johnson was the only one to catch Carl Lawson in a drill that saw two defensive ends race around a traffic circle.

Johnson particularly flashed as a run defender in his rookie season, but the former first-round pick has clearly been working on his first step. The Jets hope to see him earn a larger role in year two.

Dud: Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

Zach Wilson's spring has been about as inconsistent as many would have expected. He's had his fair share of impressive moments, but they've been sprinkled in with far too many errant passes and slip-ups.

Tuesday's practice was a perfect instance of Wilson's inconsistencies. He started off hot, completing all five of his passes in 11-on-11 drills and then his next four in 7-on-7 drills. Unfortunately, it came crashing down after that.

Wilson struggled mightily in red-zone drills, completing just one of his four pass attempts. That included consecutive "way off" errant passes to undrafted rookies Travis Dye and Xavier Gipson.

It was another up-and-down performance for Wilson, which is why he earns another spot on this list. The former No. 2 overall pick needs to stack positive practices this summer if he's to hold on to the backup QB job.

Standout: Garrett Wilson, WR, NY Jets

Garrett Wilson appears primed for a monster sophomore season, at least if OTAs are any indication. The former first-round pick has wasted little time developing chemistry with his new quarterback this spring.

Wilson and Rodgers hooked up for a few completions during Tuesday's practice, the most impressive being a back-shoulder fade in the corner of the end zone.

Working against D.J. Reed, Wilson skied into the air to haul in a perfectly-thrown anticipation pass from Rodgers for the would-be touchdown. Wilson proceeded to blow a few kisses to the camera before celebrating with new teammate Allen Lazard.

After a standout rookie season that saw him finish with 83 catches and over 1,100 yards, Jets fans should be very excited about what Wilson could do with Rodgers throwing him the ball this year.

Dud: Bryce Hall, CB, NY Jets

It wasn't long ago that Bryce Hall seemed like a future building block for a young Jets defense. Just a year or two later, Hall finds himself fighting for a roster spot this summer. His performance so far in OTAs has done him any favors.

Hall was toasted on a deep ball from Rodgers to his former teammate in Green Bay, Malik Taylor earlier in the week. The video showing the completion went viral and certainly didn't help Hall's standing with the Jets fan base.

Things didn't get much better for Hall on Tuesday. The Virginia product had a "rough start" to practice, which included him misplaying an underthrown deep ball from Zach Wilson to undrafted rookie Jason Brownlee.

Wilson's pass fluttered in the air, but Brownlee was able to make an adjustment to come back to the ball. Hall never got his head turned around, resulting in a big gain.

More performances like this one certainly won't help Hall earn a spot on the 53-man roster this summer.

Standout: Carl Lawson, DE, NY Jets

Carl Lawson was seen as a potential cap casualty for the Jets entering the offseason. Instead, Lawson agreed to take a pay cut to remain with the organization. Now two years removed from his tragic torn Achilles, Lawson feels better than ever.

He wasted little time reminding everyone what he's capable of on Tuesday, blowing past second-year offensive tackle Max Mitchell for a sack on the first play of practice.

Lawson looks quicker and more muscular than he did a year ago — if the latter is even possible. He told reporters on Tuesday that he lost “quite a bit of fat” this offseason.

Lawson didn't even start running until the summer last year after suffering a setback in his rehab process. Despite this, he still played all 17 games, even if he wasn't at full strength.

The Jets are optimistic that Lawson can return to his dominant pre-injury form this season, and his performance so far this summer certainly suggests that might happen.