NY Jets: Corey Davis could be primed for a monster season

The NY Jets are in a bit of an odd position at wide receiver. On one hand, the team appears to have considerable depth, boasting familiar names like Corey Davis, Jamison Crowder, Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, Keelan Cole, and Denzel Mims.

Unfortunately, the club appears to be without a top-tier playmaker to aid in the development of rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. The newest franchise cornerstone's life would be made considerably easier with an elite pass-catching option at his disposal.

While he is unlikely to enter the top-tier of receivers currently reserved for superstars Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, and D.K. Metcalf, one current Jets wideout does have a legitimate chance at a monster 2021 season — Corey Davis.

What sets Davis apart from the rest of the wide receiver room? There appear to be a number of key factors. First, is his pedigree.

Davis has already flirted with a 1,000-yard season twice in his five-year NFL career. Both came with the run-heavy Tennessee Titans offensive scheme. He is currently projected to finish the campaign just short of 900 yards. This mark could easily be surpassed.

Additionally, Davis enters the season on a wave of momentum. The three-year, $37.5 million contract he signed during the offseason was second only to Kenny Golladay at his position. This gives New York every incentive to keep Davis atop their depth chart and game plans.

Corey Davis already has great chemistry with NY Jets QB Zach Wilson

Davis also showed a good rapport with Wilson during the preseason. 10 of Wilson's first 18 pass attempts were targeted toward Davis. This trend continued into the Jets' regular-season debut against the Carolina Panthers.

The former fifth overall pick pulled in five of his seven targets to the tune of 97 yards. Oh? And two touchdowns.

This is a massively encouraging sign for fans of the Jets, and also those who selected Davis in their fantasy leagues.

If this chemistry with Wilson progresses throughout the season, Davis will have a real opportunity to become the first Jets player to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards since Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker in 2015.

For the record, the only other names on that exclusive list since 2000 are the trio of Laveranues Coles, Santana Moss, and Jerricho Cotchery. Cracking into this club would be a huge accomplishment for the first-year Jets pass catcher.

All of this begs the question: what is a fair expectation for Davis' so called "monster" season? When you consider the addition of an unprecedented 17th regular season game, the counting stat projections can easy climb to considerable heights.

At this moment, I expect it's more likely than not that Davis does indeed surpass 1,000 yards. In a 17-game schedule, this requires averaging a modest 59 yards per contest. That is well within the realm of possibility.

I predict that the Jets' No. 1 option averages in the neighborhood of 71 yards per contest moving forward. While this may seem unimpressive, this pace would shatter the Western Michigan star's career high with 1,207 receiving yards.

Davis' two-touchdown game also gives him a real shot at reaching his ceiling in this category. I project the sixth-year wideout adds a total of six scores to the stat sheet this season, giving him eight total for the year.

This level of production would easily result in a career year for Davis, as well as a good start to Wilson's NFL career.

What do you anticipate from Corey Davis during his first season in New York?