NY Jets Post-2021 NFL Draft State of the Roster: Tight ends

Daniel Brown, TE, NY Jets

Making the Jets' roster this year will be more challenging than it has been in years past. That's a testament to the improvement of the team's overall talent, but a big reason for it is the changes to the Jets coaching staff.

It will be increasingly difficult for holdover players from 2020 to make a good impression on their new coaches. The one player who has a legitimate puncher's chance to still be on the roster in 2021 is Daniel Brown.

And that's for one specific reason. Even though the Jets have an entirely new staff on offense and defense, the one key assistant returning is special teams coordinator Brant Boyer, and the veteran coach has been given more clout and power than he has in the past.

It's the reason that Boyer, despite interest from other teams, has decided to stay on with the Jets under new head coach Robert Saleh.

One of Brant Boyer's very best and most reliable special teams players over the last couple of years has been Daniel Brown.

And it's quite telling that the Jets brought him back late in the free-agent process. Boyer got what he wanted — one of his soldiers back for his special teams' units.

Brown might make the Jets' roster again solely based on his special teams' value.

Despite being a plus athlete with good size and athleticism coming out of James Madison University in 2015, Brown has earned his supper for seven straight seasons because of his special teams' prowess. Brown has played sparingly on offense with just 44 career catches.

In a league where the percentage of players making the NFL out of college is only 1.6 percent, Brown has found a way to have a long career that is still going strong.

He might be fourth or fifth on the Jets' tight end depth chart, but it's clear that he is No. 1 in Brant Boyer's heart.