4 NY Jets players who can surge up the depth chart in training camp

2. Qwan'tez Stiggers, CB, NY Jets

NY Jets rookie cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers is a riddle wrapped in an enigma. The 2024 fifth-round pick hasn't played a snap of college football, instead finding his way to the NFL via the Fan Controlled Football League and then the CFL.

Yet at every step in his NFL journey, he's turned heads and made evaluators do a double take. He's continued to stand out during OTAs and mandatory minicamp making many start to wonder what he truly can be.

Stiggers right now is behind the best cornerback trio in football on the depth chart. He's also behind top reserve corner, fourth-year veteran Brandin Echols. But that might not last for long.

Stiggers is making a push to be the Jets' top reserve. With starters D.J. Reed and Michael Carter II free agents after the 2024 season, Stiggers making an impact in 2024 and proving he's ready to step into a starting role in 2025 would be a huge boon.

It's very early in the process, but he's started to show signs that that may very well end up being the case. He may soon surpass Echols on the depth chart, and if injuries provide him the opportunity to climb higher, he might not ever let go of the opportunity.

3. Eric Watts, DL, NY Jets

When Jets general manager Joe Douglas shockingly traded away veteran stalwart defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers during the draft, he opened up a 288-pound hole on the edge. Yes, the Jets defensive line is still a strength, but no one else on the roster provides the inside-out versatility of Franklin-Myers.

Enter rookie UDFA Eric Watts out of the University of Connecticut. Listed at six-foot-six 274 pounds Watts isn't quite as big as Franklin-Myers, but his 98th percentile arm length combined with his above-average size on the edge forecasts a player who can play as a part-time pass rusher on the interior as well.

Many analysts thought Watts would be a Day 3 pick, so him going undrafted is a bit of a surprise. The Jets also saw that potential in Watts, giving him $245,000 guaranteed which is on the high end for undrafted free agents and the highest of their 2024 UDFA class.

Like Stiggers, Watts was a notable standout during spring practices. The Jets under head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich have had some success in recent years developing UDFA defenders into key contributors, with former Jets' edge rusher Bryce Huff and current safety Tony Adams as recent examples.

For Watts, this is the perfect opportunity and the perfect situation for him to shine and shoot up the depth chart in training camp.

He finds himself in a situation where the coaching staff has a history of developing unheralded defensive players, plays in a scheme that values a heavy rotation on the defensive line, and has the skill set to fill a crucial role that no one else on the roster possesses. It would not surprise to see him get meaningful snaps in 2024.