NY Jets: 4 undrafted free agents who could make the 53-man roster

The NY Jets are less than a week away from roster cutdown day. Next Tuesday, every NFL team will be required to trim their rosters down from 80 to 53 players ahead of the start of the regular season.

For some players, it's a day of heartbreak and anguish as dreams are crushed. But for others, it's a day of celebration and relief upon learning they made the cut.

Either way, the day is likely a stressful one for those who fund themselves on the roster bubble. We're not talking about the established starters here. These players, many of whom are young, are just looking for an opportunity.

Every year we see a number of undrafted rookies receive that opportunity and go on to exceed all expectations. Just last year, Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson became only the fourth undrafted rookie to ever rush for 1,000 yards.

The Jets had a few undrafted players receive substantial playing time as rookies. The likes of Bryce Huff, Lamar Jackson, and Javelin Guidry immediately spring to mind.

This year's Jets are no different either with a few notable undrafted players already making waves this summer. But which ones have the best chance to stick around past final cuts?

Let's take a look at four undrafted free agents who have a legitimate chance to make the 53-man roster.

4. Kenny Yeboah, TE, NY Jets

Kenny Yeboah was among the more notable undrafted rookies the Jets signed shortly after the 2021 NFL Draft. Seen as a Day 3 prospect by most, the Jets reportedly had a fourth-round grade on Yeboah and had to beat out numerous teams to sign him.

And given the wide-open nature of the Jets' tight end situation, it seemed as though Yeboah was perfectly positioned to make a push for a roster spot.

Unfortunately, he hasn't made quite the impact that most hoped he would.

Yeboah had a quiet spring and he hasn't done much to separate himself from the pack in training camp. The preseason has been a struggle for him as well.

The former Ole Miss standout hauled in one catch for six yards this past Saturday and fumbled on his only reception in the team's first preseason outing.

Combine that with the fact that he's been working exclusively with the second and third-team offense, and his chances of making a serious impact this season seem slim.

However, his saving grace is the fact that none of the Jets' tight ends, with the exception of Tyler Kroft (and only by a little), have done anything to stand out.

Chris Herndon and Ryan Griffin look like replacement-level players and Daniel Brown is little more than a special-teamer. There's a chance Yeboah could beat out Griffin for a roster spot with a strong finish to the summer.

It seems unlikely, but there's still a chance that Yeboah sneaks onto the active roster. If not, expect him to be a prime practice squad candidate.

3. Matt Ammendola, K, NY Jets

Matt Ammendola isn't technically an undrafted rookie. Ammendola actually went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2020, but he didn't sign with an NFL team until this past offseason.

Does that make him a rookie? Maybe — it depends on how you define the term. Either way, for all intents and purposes, he's an undrafted rookie so we're counting him for this list.

As the only kicker currently on the Jets' roster, Ammendola is being presented with a golden opportunity. And to this point, he's made the most of it.

The former Big-12 standout is yet to miss a kick in a preseason game with the Jets as he connected on all three of his field goals this past Saturday, including a 54-yarder.

The Jets had three kickers on their roster in early May. All three have since been released. Safe to say, the kicker position has been a revolving door for Gang Green.

But provided he doesn't fall apart over the next week, there's a very good chance that Ammendola makes the team. Although he might be on a bit of a short leash to start.

Ammendola has taken his opportunity and run with it. Maybe — just maybe — the Jets have found the diamond in the rough kicker they've been searching for.

2. Hamilcar Rashed Jr., DE, NY Jets

Hamilcar Rashed Jr. was once considered a potential Day 1 or 2 draft prospect following a standout junior season that saw him finish with a Pac-12-best 14.0 sacks en route to being named first-team All-American.

Rashed looked like a potential star in the making until a disappointing senior season saw him tally zero sacks in seven games. It dropped his stock so much that he went from a possible top-50 pick all the way to falling out of the draft entirely.

The Jets were fortunate to scoop him up, though, and he's made some plays this summer. On a defensive line ravaged by injuries, Rashed has been asked to play a sizable role and he's done well for himself.

In the Jets' first preseason game, Rashed recorded 1.5 sacks impressing against a porous Giants offensive line. And this past Saturday, he recorded four tackles (second-most on the team) despite missing a few series after briefly leaving with an injury.

Ultimately, however, the reason Rashed has such a good shot of making the team is due to injuries around him.

Carl Lawson and Vinny Curry are officially out for the 2021 season. Kyle Phillips might miss the start of the year and hasn't practiced all summer. The same could be said for Jabari Zuniga who, even if healthy, would likely struggle to beat out Rashed for a roster spot.

Right now, Rashed is likely one of the Jets' four best defensive ends that are healthy. And he has the versatility to double as a linebacker that could drop into coverage as well, given his history at Oregon State.

There's likely a better chance than not that Hamilcar Rashed finds his way onto the 53-man roster to begin the year.

1. Isaiah Dunn, CB, NY Jets

Amazingly, Rashed isn't even the most notable undrafted rookie out of Oregon State on the Jets' roster. That honor belongs to cornerback Isaiah Dunn who the Jets have been high on since he was signed back in May

At the time, the Jets made Dunn the highest-paid undrafted cornerback of all time. Evidently, they believed he could make the team out of training camp.

That much was made clear when Dunn started receiving first-team reps at cornerback as early as OTAs and minicamp. Since then, the rookie has had a bit of an up-and-down summer.

He's rotated between the first and second-team defense, missed time with an injury, and even received the start in the Jets' second preseason game.

Unfortunately, his performance in that game didn't do him any favors.

Dunn is still in the mix for a role in the Jets' defense, although he's likely behind both Blessuan Austin and Brandin Echols in the competition for the No. 2 cornerback job.

Barring injury, it would seem as though Bryce Hall, Austin, Echols, Jason Pinnock, Javelin Guidry, Michael Carter II, and Justin Hardee are roster locks. That's seven cornerbacks already seemingly guaranteed a spot on the roster.

Is there room for Dunn? Maybe, but he'll have to earn it.

Isaiah Dunn has been the Jets' best undrafted rookie this offseason, but even he will have to fight to convince the organization that he deserves a roster spot.