NY Jets: 4 surprise standouts the first two weeks of 2021

2. C.J. Mosley, LB, NY Jets

The fact that C.J. Mosley has stood out early in the season shouldn’t be a surprise, but having opted out of 2020 due to COVID-19, the former Baltimore Ravens linebacker is back in the NFL with a vengeance.

Having noticeably shed some weight during the offseason, the four-time second-team All-Pro linebacker looks faster, more energetic, and is already out to remind people just how dominant he can be in this league.

Mosley leads the Jets in tackles, alongside safety Marcus Maye, and looked particularly explosive in an impressive display against the Patriots.

Against New England, Mosley had a PFF coverage grade of 78.7, which is substantially higher than his average grade over five seasons in Baltimore (66.56).

He did struggle in parts against the Panthers, but it's hard to find a defender who wouldn’t when covering running back Christian McCaffrey.

After a successful summer, Mosley is starting to look like he could be on his way to returning to form. He’s not necessarily been the best player from the two games collectively, but his return to the team has made a standout positive impact.

His leadership within this young defense will be crucial going forward as he looks to help the Jets build a winning team.

Expect Mosley to continue to impress for the remainder of 2021.