NY Jets: 8 shining stars from preseason victory over Packers

The NY Jets won their second consecutive game to start the 2021 preseason on Saturday topping the Green Bay Packers by a final score of 23-14.

Saturday's game produced a bit more excitement than last week's outing as the Jets managed a pair of offensive touchdowns on the heels of an outstanding performance from their rookie quarterback.

Just as a little spoiler, Wilson will be included on this list. Shocker.

Wilson put on a show and led the Jets to a rather convincing victory over a Packers team that was sitting over 30 of their best players.

Sure, it was somewhat of a hollow victory. The Packers started Kurt Benkert at quarterback and sat quite literally their entire starting offense and defense.

Meanwhile, the Jets played the majority of their starters for almost the entire first half. But a win is a win.

The Jets had a number of players establish themselves as the true standouts of Saturday's second preseason game. Both when it came to the starters and the backups.

Which players shined the brightest? We take a look at eight of the biggest stars from the Jets' preseason victory over the Packers.

8. Corey Ballentine, CB/KR, NY Jets

We start the list with more of a low-key player, but someone who definitely improved his stock on Saturday. Corey Ballentine might not make the Jets' roster, but he's clearly the best kick returner on the team.

Ballentine took a kick back 73 yards later in the second quarter to set up the second of two Zach Wilson touchdown passes.

The former NY Giants draft pick doesn't offer much as a cornerback, but it's telling that the Jets continue to deploy him as a returner.

He's still far from a lock to make the 53-man roster, but if he does, it will be on the back of his special-teams/return abilities.

7. Michael Carter, RB, NY Jets

The Jets seemed to tip their hand as to how they view their running backs in this game. Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson worked exclusively with the first-team offense while Michael Carter and La'Mical Perine ran with the backups.

But when the dust settled, Carter seemed to emerge as the team's most effective running back.

Carter finished with 10 carries for 52 yards on an efficient 5.2 yards per carry — all of which led the team. That included a preseason-high 18-yard run in the third quarter that was immediately followed up by a physical eight-yard carry.

Carter did everything he could to convince the Jets that he should be featured in the running back rotation. Now it's on the coaching staff to get him more involved.

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

Simply put, C.J. Mosley just looks like a different player out there. Mosley was flying all around the field on Sunday and the Jets made sure to give him plenty of snaps — perhaps too many snaps.

Mosley played well into the second quarter and he finished tied for the team lead with five total tackles.

After missing essentially all of the last two seasons, Mosley has shown up to training camp in excellent shape having lost considerable weight.

He's lighter, quicker, and faster than he was during his days with the Baltimore Ravens. And that should allow him to excel in Robert Saleh's defense.

5. Brandin Echols, CB, NY Jets

The Jets opted to give undrafted rookie Isaiah Dunn the start at cornerback with Blessuan Austin sidelined. Dunn, however, struggled mightily in his place.

Instead, it was sixth-round rookie Brandin Echols who looked like the better option after putting together a solid game with the second-team defense.

His highlight of the day came late in the third quarter when he intercepted an errant Kurt Benkert throw. Echols dove low to scoop the ball off the ground and make the acrobatic catch.

The Kentucky product should likely usurp Dunn on the depth chart after this game and he could challenge Austin for the CB2 job with a strong finish to the summer.

4. Matt Ammendola, K, NY Jets

The kicker position has been a revolving door for the Jets over the last few years. And that seemed primed to continue this season after the team released three kickers within a span of only a few months.

But Matt Ammendola is looking to change that narrative.

Ammendola entered Saturday's game as the only kicker on the Jets' roster, and he made the most of his opportunity connecting on all three field-goal attempts and both of his extra points.

The second-year undrafted kicker showed off his leg hitting from 54 yards out in the first quarter before connecting from 46 and 30 in the third quarter.

Ammendola has a chance to secure the kicker job with another strong performance next week.

3. Corey Davis, WR, NY Jets

Through two preseason games, it seems clear who Zach Wilson's favorite target is. Corey Davis has quickly emerged as the team's top receiver, as many expected he would.

Davis hauled in a team-leading four catches for 70 yards on Saturday. He was targeted a whopping six times after receiving four of Wilson's six total targets in Week 1 of the preseason.

In just two quarters of playing time, Davis has hauled in six catches for 88 yards. He's been targeted 10 times on only 12 total routes.

The Wilson-to-Davis connection is heating up and the Jets hope that their budding chemistry will carry over into the regular season.

2. Tyler Kroft, TE, NY Jets

Tyler Kroft entered Saturday's game as the de facto starting tight end. And if it wasn't already clear that he was the starter, he made sure to solidify that notion with his performance.

Kroft only caught two passes, but each of those plays went for 18-yard touchdowns. Wilson looked his way twice in the red zone and both times it worked out.

Chris Herndon worked entirely with the second-team offense while Ryan Griffin sat out with an injury. Kroft put to bed any doubt that he was the Jets' top tight end.

And on top of that, he established some nice red-zone chemistry with his quarterback. Not a bad day all things considered.

1. Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

No player excelled more on Saturday than Zach Wilson. With the spotlight shining bright on him, Wilson lit up the Packers' second-team defense with his best performance to date.

The rookie found the aforementioned Tyler Kroft for a pair of touchdowns marking the first two scores of his NFL career, even if it was only the preseason.

Wilson finished 9-of-11 for 128 yards, two touchdowns, and a 154,7 QB rating. With all the talk surrounding Justin Fields and other rookie quarterbacks, Wilson staked his claim as the most impressive rookie signal-caller of the summer.

Zach Wilson has arrived. And the Jets couldn't be more excited.