NY Jets: 8 potential waiver wire claims the team could make

The NY Jets are in the process of making final roster arrangements ahead of the start of the 2021 season. The bulk of those moves will come over the next two days as teams will be required to trim their roster from 80 to 53 players.

Some teams around the NFL have already gotten a head start. Either way, all 32 teams will be cutting close to 30 players over the next 48 hours.

By the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday, hundreds of players will have been released. It's a difficult day for many around the league, but getting released doesn't have to be the end of the line.

And for many players, it usually isn't.

Whether they end up back with their original team on the active roster or practice squad, or if they're picked up by another team, many players who are released on final cut day generally aren't out of work for long.

One of the most exciting time periods is actually directly after final cut day when teams scour the waiver wire looking for potential additions.

The Jets will be in a position where they can take advantage of this more than most as they are currently slated to have the second spot on the waiver wire.

Expect the Jets to make at least one waiver claim over the next couple of days as they continue to shape their roster. But who might it be?

Let's take a look at eight players the team should keep an eye on if they don't survive roster cuts.

*This is including players who could both be claimed off waivers and signed after being released*

8. NY Jets target: Devante Downs, LB, New York Giants

The Jets could really use additional linebacker depth, and while pickings were slim at this spot, one player who could make some sense if waived is Devante Downs.

Downs emerged as an unlikely starting candidate for the New York Giants last year starting eight games for a porous Giants defense.

He's a good special teamer with enough athleticism to get by in a Robert Saleh scheme. And given that it seems unlikely the Giants keep him, he could be a potential target for the Jets.

Remember, the Jets got a close look at Downs and the Giants when they faced on in the first preseason game. Perhaps that connection leads to something.

7. NY Jets target: Kayode Awosika, OT, Philadelphia Eagles

Another player the Jets got a close look at this summer is Eagles undrafted rookie Kayode Awosika. Awosika has been one of the more notable standouts from Eagles' training camp and the athletic offensive lineman is pushing for a roster spot.

But the Eagles have a lot of competition for those final offensive line spots and Awosika might miss the cut. The Buffalo product is an excellent athlete who has experienced playing both tackle and guard.

Philadelphia paid him the second-most money out of all their undrafted rookies and the coaching staff remains high on him. But if they can't find a roster spot for him, he'll be subject to waivers.

Bo Wulf of The Athletic even speculated that the Patriots or Jets (the two teams the Eagles had joint practices with) could consider claiming Awosika if he was cut.

The Jets need offensive line depth, and if they were impressed by Awosika last week, they could look to target him on waivers.

6. NY Jets target: Brandon Knight, OT, Dallas Cowboys

Brandon Knight is an intriguing player who could find his way onto the waiver wire. A former collegiate tight end/lineman hybrid, Knight started nine games for Dallas last year due to injury.

However, with players returning, he surprisingly finds himself on the roster bubble this summer. It might require the Cowboys carrying 11 offensive linemen for him to make the cut.

If he doesn't, his guard/tackle versatility should prove valuable to a Jets team that really needs depth at both spots.

He's an athletic player who thrives in open space, something that makes him an ideal fit in the Jets' offensive scheme. His prior starting experience is the cherry on top.

5. NY Jets target: Jalen Hurd, WR, San Francisco 49ers

We had to throw a player on the San Francisco 49ers in here, right? A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jalen Hurd has seen his career ravaged by injuries to this point.

A back injury sidelined him for his entire rookie season before a torn ACL suffered in training camp last year kept him out for the entire 2020 season. Hurd is yet to play in an NFL game since being drafted, and time is running out.

The 49ers have other receivers ahead of him on the depth chart. But if he's released, expect him to be a popular name on the waiver wire.

The Jets don't necessarily need any more wide receiver depth, They have enough difficult decisions to make at the position as it is. However, at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, the idea has been thrown around to move Hurd to tight end at some point.

Whether that would be the Jets' plan or not, it does make sense that part of the coaching staff that drafted and developed him would love to continue doing so in their new destination.

4. NY Jets target: Ricky Seals-Jones, TE, Washington Football Team

The Jets have one of the weakest tight end rooms in football, but they could look to upgrade the position with the addition of the exciting Ricky Seals-Jones.

At 6-foot-5, 243 pounds, few players in the NFL have the size/athleticism blend that Seals-Jones does. He's an excellent red zone threat who had four touchdowns on just 14 catches in 2019.

The Jets could use a player like that, and it seems as though Seals-Jones might be getting the slip in Washington. Logan Thomas and John Bates are locks while Seals-Jones is fighting with former Chilean national basketball player Sammis Reyes for the final spot.

If he doesn't make the cut, the Jets, or another team, could pounce.

3. NY Jets target: Yodny Cajuste, OT, New England Patriots

The Patriots have made a living out of poaching players from the Jets, but maybe this time, the roles could be reversed.

Much like Hurd, Yodny Cajuste is another 2019 third-round pick that is yet to play in an NFL game due to injuries. A quad injury kept Cajuste sidelined his rookie year before a knee injury kept him out all of last year.

Now, Cajuste finds himself on the roster bubble and there's speculation the Patriots might try to cut him and sneak him onto their practice squad.

If that's the case, the Jets should try to make sure that doesn't happen by claiming the athletic offensive tackle off waivers. He can be their new Chuma Edoga — a high upside athletic swing tackle they try to develop into a starter.

2. NY Jets target: Dax Milne, WR, Washington Football Team

What better way to make your rookie quarterback happy than by picking up his favorite collegiate target?

Zach Wilson's standout junior season helped produce the rise of Dax Milne who developed into BYU's top receiving option. Many expected the Jets to pursue Milne, either as a UDFA or in the draft.

Unfortunately, Washington scooped him up with one of the final picks in the 2021 NFL Draft to ensure that wouldn't happen. However, due to a logjam at the position, it seems likely that he doesn't make the roster.

Washington would love to have Milne on their practice squad, but the Jets could return the favor and play spoiler by claiming him off waivers instead.

Could the famed BYU connection be headed to East Rutherford in the near future? It's certainly possible.

1. NY Jets target: Brian Hoyer, QB, New England Patriots

The backup quarterback position has been talked about ad nauseam this offseason. But as roster cut day approaches, expect it to become the focus once again.

One player who has been connected to the team is veteran Brian Hoyer who visited with the Jets prior to the draft. He later went on to re-sign with the New England Patriots, but he's still not a lock for the roster.

Even with Jarrett Stidham expected to be sidelined for the start of the year, the Patriots might opt to only carry two quarterbacks in Mac Jones and Cam Newton. If that's the case, the Jets might try to poach Hoyer to make him their backup QB.

Of course, this would require Hoyer to be willing to leave New England — something that is easier said than done. On top of that, the Jets would have to be sure that Hoyer is an upgrade over Mike White and/or Josh Johnson.

Still, there's the prior connection between the two parties that makes this make sense. Don't be surprised if the Jets pursue Hoyer (or even the recently released Nick Mullens) if he's cut.