5 under-the-radar NY Jets who impressed in the Hall of Fame Game

The NY Jets fell to the Cleveland Browns by a final score of 21-16 in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game. With both teams resting their starters and many of their primary backups, the lesser-known players on the roster took center stage for the game.

That meant that players like Zach Wilson, Israel Abanikanda, and Jermaine Johnson were given the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a national audience. But those were the players every Jets fan was watching.

Wilson was perhaps the most notable player in the game. Others like Johnson, Mekhi Becton, Joe Tippmann, and Will McDonald were recent top draft picks. What about the almost entirely unknown players on the roster?

Let's take a look at five under-the-radar Jets players who managed to impress in Thursday's preseason opener.

5. Trey Dean, S, NY Jets

Trey Dean was one of the most noteworthy undrafted free agents the Jets signed this offseason. The former Florida standout is competing for one of the backup safety spots on the roster, and he made a strong case on Thursday.

Dean finished with a team-leading seven tackles and played more snaps than almost any other player on the roster, save for defensive tackle Tanzel Smart. These weren't just clean-up tackles, either.

Dean was credited with three defensive stops, once again the highest on the team. He also allowed just one catch for zero yards in coverage, per Pro Football Focus.

His performance definitely flew under the radar on Thursday, but Dean was one of the most impactful players on the field. It was an impressive debut for the rookie safety.

4. Greg Senat, OT, NY Jets

While most of the attention was on players such as Mekhi Becton, Max Mitchell, and Joe Tippmann, Greg Senat was quietly the team's best offensive lineman on Thursday.

Senat finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 71.4 which ranked second among all offensive players on the team. That included a stellar 79.4 run-block grade which ranked first among all Jets players.

A Queens native and Wagner alumnus, Senat was claimed off waivers by the Jets at the end of the 2021 season and spent all of last year on the NFI list with an undisclosed injury.

It's not realistic to expect Senat to push for a roster spot, but he has a chance to stick around on the practice squad if he can put together more performances like this one.

3. Malik Taylor, WR, NY Jets

Malik Taylor only made one notable contribution in Thursday's game, but it came on arguably the most impressive play for either team all night.

Taylor burnt past his man on a go route and hauled in a gorgeous 57-yard bomb from Zach Wilson in the first quarter. While Wilson received most of the well-deserved praise, Taylor deserves his flowers too.

The speedy former Green Bay wide receiver has quietly put together a solid training camp and is definitely in the mix for a roster spot. He's probably Jason Brownlee's biggest competition for the WR6 job.

Taylor's experience with both Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett certainly won't hurt his case. Neither does the playmaking ability he showcased on Thursday.

2. Claudin Cherelus, LB, NY Jets

The Jets signed three undrafted linebackers to contracts following the 2023 NFL Draft. Of the three, former Alcorn State standout Claudin Cherelus impressed the most on Thursday.

Cherelus finished with an outstanding 88.5 coverage grade — the highest of any player on the team. He was tagged with allowing three catches on four targets for just 20 total yards.

Cherelus also recorded a defensive stop on both of his registered tackles. The HBCU product played more defensive snaps than any other linebacker on the roster. Only Ifeadi Odenigbo and the next player on our list finished with higher overall PFF defensive grades.

Cherelus is the latest former safety-turned-undersized linebacker the Jets are trying to develop. The Jets' linebacker room is wide open, and if Cherelus continues to stack positive performances, he might just make a case for a roster spot.

1. Javelin Guidry, CB, NY Jets

Welcome back Javelin Guidry. The former undrafted free agent was claimed off waivers by the Jets this past May, returning him to the organization he originally signed with out of Utah in 2020.

Guidry wasted little time making an impact in his return game. The speedy cornerback was the highest-graded player by PFF on the roster, earning a spectacular 88.4 grade. That includes a team-leading 89.3 run-defense grade and an 83.2 coverage grade.

Guidry allowed just one catch for four yards on two targets, despite playing 37 defensive snaps. He also tied for the team lead in defensive stops with three.

It's going to be tough for Guidry to crack the 53-man roster in a talented Jets cornerback room, but he has experience in this defensive system and provides special teams value. He could stick around as a backup nickel corner with outside versatility.