NY Jets: Final 53-man roster and 16-player practice squad prediction

NY Jets offensive line

• Connor McGovern, Greg Van Roten, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Mekhi Becton, Morgan Moses, George Fant, Dan Feeney, Chuma Edoga (8)

No position on the Jets has had its depth challenged more this summer than the offensive line.

Veteran Alex Lewis retired. Cameron Clark went down in camp with a neck injury. Two backup tackles in Conor McDermott and Chuma Edoga have gone down with injuries. Edoga is expected back before the season, but McDermott is going to be on the shelf for a while with a knee injury. 

Expect Joe Douglas and his staff to be scouring the waiver wire very closely or working the phones for a potential trade to bring in some added veteran insurance.

The Jets have some young offensive linemen like David Moore, Jimmy Murray, and Grant Hermanns who could sneak onto the active roster simply because of how thin the Jets are up front. But all three are probably better suited on the team's practice squad as potential weekly call-ups instead.

The effectiveness of the Jets' offense hinges on the level of play provided by the left side of their offensive line. There are big expectations for left tackle Mekhi Becton and 2021 first-round pick left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Their performance this season is of utmost importance. 

Veterans Connor McGovern and Greg Van Roten need to improve their play from a year ago. And the hope is that the Jets' new offensive system will help them. 

Morgan Moses and George Fant have been battling all camp to be the team's starting right tackle. The Jets are fortunate to have both. Dan Feeney will play his familiar wingman role in the trenches, backing up all three interior starters.

Carrying only eight offensive linemen on game day is very risky. So the Jets could elevate a player from their practice squad each week to fill the ninth spot. However, It's possible that a new veteran addition could be coming on board before the season arrives.

NY Jets specialists

• Matt Ammendola [K], Braden Mann [P], Thomas Hennessy [LS] (3)

The Jets are locked in at punter and long snapper. The hope is that rookie kicker Matt Ammendola continues to impress. It looks like he will be kicking for the Jets in Week 1 at Carolina.

Don't be surprised if the Jets carry a kicker at some point on their practice squad to keep Ammendola's seat warm as added insurance if he falters.

Last season, many NFL teams carried an extra kicker on their practice squad to safeguard against injury and the pandemic. That includes the Jets, who had an extra kicker in reserve throughout much of 2020.