NY Jets: 5 breakout performers the team should build around

The NY Jets took care of business on Sunday to secure their first victory of the Robert Saleh era. 

An energized MetLife Stadium crowd celebrated a thrilling 27-24 win over Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans, as ex-Jets kicker Randy Bullock’s 49-yarder sailed wide left with 19 seconds left in overtime. 

This game was a significant victory for the franchise because it was a character-building win. Jets fans want to see progress; this was progress. 

The head coach’s defensive impact — with seven sacks on Ryan Tannehill — is unmistakable. But, as planned, Saleh and his defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich are getting a lot out of relatively little.

Most tremendous was Zach Wilson’s flashes of potential greatness. The wild young gunslinger has the rare ability to make throws, unlike few others.

Their play was hardly perfect. Corey Davis fell on Wilson’s interception, Nathan Shepherd had three awful penalties, Sharrod Neasman isn't Marcus Maye. Meanwhile, the offensive line is gelling but still can’t open rushing lanes.

Sunday’s most dominant contributors were holdovers from the Mike Maccagnan 'error' — C.J. Mosley (13 tackles, one sack), Jamison Crowder (7 catches, 61 yards, one TD), and Quinnen Williams (7 tackles, two sacks).

Jets diehards know Joe Douglas acquisitions like Wilson, Davis, John Franklin-Myers, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Elijah Moore, Michael Carter, and Michael Carter II, but there is much more on the horizon.

Here are five rising Jets with Week 4 breakout performances — names you’ll hopefully be hearing in the games and seasons ahead.

1. Bryce Hall, CB, NY Jets

When people say that the Jets’ young defense is ahead of schedule and keeps them in games, they talk about talents like Bryce Hall. 

The Jets may have finally found their lockdown corner. The former Virginia star, a projected first-rounder before a season-ending injury dropped him to Round 5, might be the finest NFLer of Joe Douglas’ 2020 NFL Draft class.

Sure, the Titans were without Julio Jones and A.J. Brown (or defenders Bud Dupree and Caleb Farley).

But Hall did it all, playing all 100 defensive snaps, with physical tackling (five tackles) including two big stops of Derrick Henry, relentless coverage (PFF coverage grade of 74.0), two QB hits, and a big corner blitz sack.

He was targeted nine times and allowed just two catches for 27 yards. “Bryce Hall Island,” anyone?