5 NY Jets players who need to impress against the Buccaneers

2. Zonovan Knight, RB, NY Jets

The addition of Dalvin Cook gives the Jets arguably the best running back room in the NFL, but it also means the team will likely be forced to make a difficult decision. Cook, Breece Hall, and Israel Abanikanda are locks for the 53-man roster.

That leaves Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight fighting for one roster spot. Knight has outplayed Carter for most of camp, but the latter showed flashes of his rookie self in the Jets' preseason win over the Panthers.

Meanwhile, Knight struggled to the tune of just 13 yards on four carries — an average of 3.2 yards per attempt. Carter and Abanikanda both looked better than Knight in that second preseason game.

Again, Knight has been more impressive than Carter for the majority of the summer, and he has more special-teams experience, but he could really use a standout game against the Bucs to help solidify his roster spot.

1. Mekhi Becton, OT, NY Jets

Mekhi Becton is the X-factor on a Jets' offensive line that has struggled mightily this summer. The Jets planned to have veteran Billy Turner compete with the returning Max Mitchell for the starting right tackle job, but both players have disappointed this summer.

It's become increasingly clear that the Jets can't afford to trot out either Turner or Mitchell as their starting right tackle come Week 1. That's part of the reason the team is finally giving Mekhi Becton an opportunity to play some right tackle.

Head coach Robert Saleh has insisted that the Jets don't want to give Becton first-team reps until they're convinced he can play a full game. Saturday will be another opportunity for Becton to prove he's healthy.

It still seems unlikely that the Jets view Becton as a legitimate starting candidate, but the same was true about Joe Tippmann just two weeks ago. Plans can change. Becton is hoping to make the Jets reconsider their approach to the offensive line.