3 standouts and 2 notable duds from first NY Jets training camp practice

The NY Jets' first training camp practice of the 2024 summer is officially in the books. No, the pads aren't on just yet, but a summer of practices is officially underway with the regular season right around the corner.

The Jets likely won't host their first padded practice for at least another few days, but Wednesday marked the start of training camp with the team's practice schedule ramping up from a quiet and easy-going spring.

The good news for the Jets is that almost the entire roster reported to training camp healthy, save for star pass rusher Haason Reddick who remains a holdout. Only three players on the entire roster enter the summer on injured lists: Mike Williams, Nick Bawden, and Jordan Travis.

Which Jets managed to stand out in the first training camp practice of the summer? Which players might be sliding down the depth chart? Let's take a closer look.

Standout: Allen Lazard, WR, NY Jets

Don't look now but Allen Lazard was the Jets' biggest standout from Wednesday's practice. The veteran wide receiver struggled with drops again this spring but looked like a rejuvenated individual on Wednesday.

Lazard hauled in a diving 20-yard catch to kick off 11-on-11 team drills and finished the day with a leaping touchdown grab from Aaron Rodgers to end practice on a high note.

The Jets aren't necessarily relying on Lazard to play a sizable role in 2024, but with Williams still rehabbing his knee injury, Lazard received plenty of work with the first-team offense. He certainly seemed more comfortable with Rodgers throwing him passes.

Lazard is still fighting an uphill battle to carve out a role on offense this summer, but he'll be given every opportunity to prove his worth. Wednesday was an important step in the right direction.

Dud: Israel Abanikanda, RB, NY Jets

Israel Abanikanda's troubling offseason continued on Wednesday, not necessarily because of anything he did, but more so because of where he currently stands on the depth chart.

Breece Hall returned to practice in a limited fashion after being sidelined this spring, but even when Hall wasn't in the huddle, Abanikanda was nowhere near the first-team offense — or the second-team offense, for that matter.

Instead, the likes of Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis, and 2023 practice squad member Xazavian Valladay received the bulk of the first-team reps when Hall wasn't in the game.

Abanikanda worked almost exclusively with the third-team offense at the bottom of the running back depth chart. He has his work cut out for him if he's going to make the 53-man roster.

Standout: Qwan'Tez Stiggers, CB, NY Jets

The Jets still don't know what the ceiling is for former CFL standout Qwan'Tez Stiggers, but they're certainly encouraged by what they've seen to this point. He continues his strong offseason with a standout performance on Wednesday.

Stiggers primarily worked with the second and third-team defenses but came away with the team's only turnover of practice, intercepting an errant Andrew Peasley pass intended for wide receiver Lance McCutcheon.

Stiggers has one of the most unique and inspirational stories in the NFL, and at just 22 years old, the Jets remain high on his potential. He continues to prove that he can play at the NFL level.

Expect Stiggers to quickly become a fan favorite this summer with an outside chance of pushing for a future starting role as early as 2025.

Dud: Will McDonald, DE, NY Jets

Much like Abanikanda, Will McDonald didn't necessarily do anything wrong on Wednesday. In fact, McDonald actually knocked down an Aaron Rodgers pass in red-zone drills toward the end of practice.

His placement on this list should be more of a reality check for fans expecting a Jermaine Johnson-like leap from the 2023 first-round pick. McDonald worked primarily with the second-team defense, even with Haason Reddick absent.

It was Micheal Clemons who received the bulk of the reps with the starters alongside Johnson, and that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Jets don't view McDonald as a three-down player at this stage. They see him as a situational pass rusher, and that will likely continue to be his role in 2024.

That doesn't mean the Jets aren't high on his potential — because they are. But McDonald isn't going to play 40 percent or more of defensive snaps in 2024 barring a major development or multiple injuries. He'll be asked to fill the role Bryce Huff filled for most of his Jets career.

Standout: Leki Fotu, DT, NY Jets

One of the quieter and yet more important additions of the Jets' offseason came in the form of veteran nose tackle Leki Fotu. The Jets are counting on Fotu to be their big-bodied run-stuffer in the middle of their defense in 2024.

His first practice of the summer provided encouraging results. Fotu blew up a running play with the second-team defense early in practice before pressuring Tyrod Taylor into an incompletion in red-zone drills toward the end of the day.

Fotu's advanced numbers don't paint the picture of a typical run-stuffer, but at 6-foot-5, 334 pounds, the Jets are expecting the former Arizona Cardinals standout to fill that role this season. They should be very pleased with his training camp debut.