4 intriguing position battles for NY Jets in 2024 OTAs

1. Safety

The only true starting spot up for grabs this spring and summer comes in the secondary. Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters this week that the Jets will have an "open competition" at the safety position.

Tony Adams is the lone starting holdover from last season, and he will be joined by the likes of Chuck Clark and Ashtyn Davis, who were both re-signed in the offseason.

Clark missed the entire 2023 season after tearing his ACL in OTAs last year, but he was a rock-solid starting safety for years in Baltimore. If healthy, he should be the best safety on the Jets' roster.

As for Davis, the former third-round pick was a revelation in 2023, finally finding his footing on defense and maximizing his limited snaps. Davis has earned an increased role on defense, and he'll have every opportunity to solidify his case in the spring and summer.

Others in the mix include free-agent signing Isaiah Oliver, who is supposedly switching from cornerback to safety, second-year pro Jarrick Bernard-Converse, and 2024 Mr. Irrelevant selection Jaylen Key.

Oliver, Bernard-Converse, and Key are likely all just competing for backup jobs, although Oliver does have plenty of starting experience. He played nearly 50 percent of defensive snaps for the San Francisco 49ers last season.

Clark and Adams should probably be seen as the favorites to win the starting safety jobs, but the Jets regularly used three safeties last season, so all three should find their way onto the field at points.