NY Jets: 4 players who could pull a Shohei Ohtani and play both ways

4. Bennett Jackson, DB --> WR, NY Jets

We're scraping the bottom of the barrel of the Jets roster with this one. Bennett Jackson has been with the Jets since December of 2019 serving as a reserve defensive back and special teamer.

He's hardly a lock to make the final roster, but perhaps the Jets could give him a shot to contribute on offense this summer just for old times' sake.

Jackson was a two-year starter at cornerback in college before he eventually converted to safety in the NFL. He's a versatile player who has experience playing all over the defensive backfield.

But few realize that he didn't begin his career as a defensive back.

Jackson was a relatively highly-touted wide receiver prospect coming out of high school with offers from Michigan State, Northwestern, and his hometown Rutgers.

It wasn't until his sophomore year at Notre Dame that he switched to the defensive side of the ball as he looked to earn more playing time. The switch paid off and led to him being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Now, Jackson is 29-years-old. He hasn't played wide receiver since roughly 2012 — nearly a decade ago. Expecting him to be anywhere near competent as a receiver in 2021 is silly.

But Jackson is one of the few players on the Jets roster with collegiate experience playing on both sides of the ball.

He's not a prime Ohtani candidate, but he has the experience and versatility to make it work.