7 former NY Jets draft picks fighting for a roster spot this summer

The NY Jets have almost completely overhauled their roster over just the last two offseasons. The result has been an influx of depth the Jets, as an organization, haven't seen in years.

That depth is, of course, a good thing for the state of the franchise, especially after an injury-riddled 2021 campaign exposed their lack of depth a year ago. However, it isn't exactly good news for some members of the roster.

Many holdovers from previous rosters now find themselves fighting to save their jobs this offseason. A good few of those players are former draft picks, either of current general manager Joe Douglas or of previous GM Mike Maccagnan.

There aren't many players remaining on the Jets roster from the Maccagnan era, and even fewer of them were added via the draft. This is very much Douglas' team now, although even he hasn't hit a home run on every pick in the draft. Far from it.

Douglas' first draft class as head honcho of the Jets didn't exactly go as planned, and many of the players from that class find themselves on the roster bubble entering the summer.

The following seven players will be hoping to put together strong performances this summer in order to secure their roster spots. Let's take a look at seven former Jets draft picks fighting for a spot on the team's final roster.

7. Chuma Edoga, OT, NY Jets

One of the few remaining holdovers from Mike Maccagnan's ill-fated final draft class, Chuma Edoga finds himself on the roster bubble entering the summer.

Originally a third-round pick back in 2019, the Jets hoped that the technically raw Edoga would eventually develop into a starting-caliber offensive tackle in the NFL. Evidently, that hasn't been the case.

Edoga started 12 games over the first two seasons of his career and struggled mightily in the process. He suited up for just five games this past season, due in part to a brief stint on the injured reserve.

At this stage, Edoga is squarely behind Conor McDermott on the team's tackle depth chart and is far from a roster lock. With fourth-round rookie Max Mitchell now under contract, Edoga will be fighting an uphill battle this summer.

George Fant and Mekhi Becton are obvious roster locks, and you could say the same for Mitchell as well. The Jets seem to prefer McDermott to Edoga, and that's assuming they carry a fourth offensive tackle which isn't a guarantee either.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old is likely on his last legs with the organization and will likely require an injury or two to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.

Edoga is a developmental tackle prospect who just never developed.

6. La'Mical Perine, RB, NY Jets

Speaking of failed draft picks that just never developed, it's hard to believe La'Mical Perine is still on the Jets' roster. The former fourth-round pick was a healthy scratch in nearly every game last season, yet the Jets seem intent on giving him yet another chance this summer.

This is in spite of the fact that players like Josh Adams and Austin Walter have outperformed in both the preseason and the regular season. Yet, both players were cut while Perine remains with the organization.

Perine was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and is yet another underwhelming pick from Douglas' first draft class. He earned a part-time role as a rookie carrying the ball 64 times for 232 yards, an average of just 3.6 yards per carry.

The Jets gave him another shot in his second NFL season, but it quickly became apparent that he was buried on the depth chart. And again, despite being outplayed by Josh Adams in the summer, the Jets stuck with Perine.

The former Florida standout played just four games in 2021, rushing eight times for 31 yards. The only times he wasn't a healthy scratch was due to multiple injuries at the running back position.

Essentially, Perine was just a body taking up a roster spot last season. The fact that the team opted to release Austin Walter instead this offseason indicates that they believe Perine still has a chance to make the team.

However, with the likes of Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman, and Ty Johnson all ahead of him on the depth chart, not to mention undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight, it's hard to imagine he sticks this time around.

Never say never, though. The Jets seem intent on giving Perine every opportunity to make the final roster.

5. Jabari Zuniga, DE, NY Jets

Perhaps no position on the Jets' roster is as deep as their defensive line. Head coach Robert Saleh has emphasized defensive line depth throughout his coaching career, and his influence is all over this Jets roster.

At the moment, the Jets are legitimately six-deep at defensive end with Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Jacob Martin, Bryce Huff, and Vinny Curry.

Most teams don't typically carry six defensive ends on their roster, let alone more. The Jets will likely be forced to, especially with fourth-round pick Micheal Clemons also in the mix.

Where does this leave any of the other defensive ends on the Jets' roster? Well, they shouldn't exactly be feeling comfortable about their job security.

One such player is former third-round pick Jabari Zuniga. Zuniga is a former top-80 pick and arguably the worst pick of Douglas' entire tenure with the Jets.

After appearing in eight games as a rookie, barely making an impact, Zuniga was released as part of final roster cuts last season. He went unclaimed on waivers and spent most of the season on the practice squad, making three appearances and even recording his first career sack.

That sack might end up as the highlight of Zuniga's Jets career as it would take a slew of injuries for him to survive roster cuts this time. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, don't expect Zuniga to make the Jets' final roster.

4. Trevon Wesco, TE/FB, NY Jets

The Jets completely revamped their tight end room this offseason signing both C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin in free agency before adding Jeremy Ruckert in the 2022 NFL Draft.

That's good news for a Jets' offense that has been really hurting at the position for the better part of the last decade, but it's bad news for any tight ends still on the roster hoping to make the team.

One such player is Trevon Wesco, another holdover from Maccagnan's final draft class. Wesco has primarily been a role player in his three years with the Jets, transitioning to more of a fullback role as time has gone on.

He was the Jets' de facto fullback for a lot of last season before the addition of Nick Bawden later in the year. The former fourth-round pick played 12 games last year, hauling in three catches for 35 yards.

Wesco, like so many others on this list, is simply a victim of a revamped roster. It's hard to see him making an impact as a tight end given the Jets' additions there, and he might have lost his fullback job too.

Bawden played well last year and was re-signed in the offseason. He will be Wesco's primary competition at that spot, but don't rule out a player like Ruckert playing some fullback as well.

There's been some talk of Ruckert playing part-time as a fullback as that would allow him an easy way to get playing time early in his career.

Wesco doesn't have a defined role at the moment, and if you're placing bets, the safe bet is to assume he doesn't make the team.

3. Nathan Shepherd, DT, NY Jets

Despite the Jets' additions at defensive end, the defensive tackle position is still rather thin at the time of writing. The team has shown interest in signing former Browns and Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, however.

If that deal does eventually happen, it's easy to see a player like Nathan Shepherd being the odd-man-out.

The lone remaining member of Mike Maccagnan's 2018 draft class, Shepherd is another player who has lasted a surprisingly long time with the organization.

The 28-year-old is going on his fifth year with the franchise which is rather stunning given his lack of status on the team. Shepherd appeared in all 17 games with the Jets last season, although he failed to make much of a positive impact.

In recent years (mostly 2021), he's become more known for his back-breaking penalties than any on-field production. Nonetheless, he's currently penciled in as perhaps the Jets' top backup defensive tackle.

Quinnen Williams is obviously a roster lock. Barring an unexpected post-draft cut, Sheldon Rankins should be back as well. That leaves Shepherd competing with 2021 sixth-round pick Jonathan Marshall and a few others for rotational jobs.

This all comes down to how often the Jets plan to play players like John Franklin-Myers and Solomon Thomas in an interior role. If they see them as primarily defensive tackles, Shepherd could be left on the outside looking in.

Right now, I'd say Shepherd probably has a better chance to make the roster than most on this list, but he's not a lock.

2. Ashtyn Davis, S, NY Jets

When the Jets drafted former Cal standout Ashtyn Davis in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they hoped they were landing a high-upside super athlete who, with a little development, could become a future cornerstone of their defense.

Trading away Jamal Adams seemed to open up a door for Davis, and now with Adams and Marcus Maye both gone, most would have assumed that the former third-round pick would be penciled in as a starter.

Instead, he finds himself fighting more for a roster spot than a starting job.

Davis struggled as a rookie playing 10 games before suffering a foot injury that required surgery. That very foot injury actually caused him to miss the beginning of his second NFL season as he wasn't activated from the IR until October.

Even after a slew of injuries to the Jets' safeties, Davis failed to establish himself as someone the team could rely on as a starter. He struggled again finishing with a Pro Football Focus grade of 60.7 that ranked 57th among all safeties.

In particular, his abysmal 43.1 run-defense grade ranked 85th out of just 88 qualified safeties. Davis has flashed his athleticism at times, but his overall lack of instincts and polish continues to hold him back.

He's still the same raw, underdeveloped athlete the Jets drafted over two years ago. That being said, he's still projected to be one of the team's top backup safeties, but he's not guaranteed anything.

2021 fifth-round pick Jason Pinnock impressed after moving to safety last season. Veteran Will Parks more than held his own down the stretch. And even waiver claim Elijah Riley looked the part of an NFL-caliber player.

Davis will be fighting to make the team this summer, and it won't be an easy battle.

1. Denzel Mims, WR, NY Jets

The enigma that is Denzel Mims was arguably the biggest talking point coming out of training camp last summer. Most assumed that the former second-round pick was in-line for a sizable role in his second NFL season, especially after flashing at times as a rookie.

But it quickly became apparent that the new coaching staff wasn't nearly as high on him as many others were. He found himself plummeting down the depth chart and was rendered a healthy scratch early in the year.

Injuries eventually forced the Jets to play Mims, but once he stepped on the field, it became very obvious why the coaching staff was so reluctant to play him.

Mims wasn't just an afterthought — he was a complete liability. He finished the year with eight catches on just 23 targets and a whopping four penalties, which given the tiny number of snaps he played is pretty wild.

In fact, he finished with the second-worst target-to-penalty ratio among all NFL wide receivers, and although he didn't play enough snaps to qualify, his 48.7 PFF grade would have easily ranked dead-last among over 120 qualified wide receivers.

Mims was really, really bad last season. He's reportedly been putting in the work this offseason, but he still faces an uphill battle to earn not only a role in the offense but a roster spot this summer.

Joe Douglas has been resistant to cut ties with his underperforming draft picks, as evidenced by this list, but if Mims shows up to camp and disappoints again, he may not have much of a choice.

Few players have more to lose (or gain) than Denzel Mims this summer.