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

The NY Jets training camp and 2021 preseason are officially over. The team now begins its march towards its season opener on Sunday, September 12th in Carolina against former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold and the Panthers. 

Before the Jets can get there, the front office and coaching staff are tasked with paring down their roster from 80 to 53 players by Tuesday, August 31st at 4 p.m. ET.

The Jets will also put together their 16-player practice squad. Keep in mind, Gang Green is No. 2 in the waiver order, so they'll have an early look at hundreds of players who end up on the free market.

The August 31st cut-down date is nine days before the NFL season begins, so there's potential for plenty of roster movement in the days leading up to the first game. Often, this period is referred to as final cuts. But nothing in the NFL is permanent.

The Jets' 53-man roster on September 12th might look different than the first one they unveil on Tuesday. General manager Joe Douglas could be working the waiver wire and the phones, looking to add a pass rusher, offensive lineman, defensive back, linebacker, or even a veteran quarterback. 

Typically, spots 47-53 on the back of a roster are wide open and interchangeable. The expanded practice squad and the new roster rules adopted a year ago have given teams more flexibility than in years past.

Don't dismiss the value or importance of players on the practice squad. A year ago, Jets like Javelin Guidry started on the practice squad before becoming key contributors on the main roster. 

The Jets' 53-man roster and 16-player practice squad announced this coming week might not be permanent, but here's my final prediction on what it could look like.

NY Jets Quarterbacks

• Zach Wilson, Josh Johnson (2)

The Jets' dreams and hopes rest with Zach Wilson. Regardless of what the team's record ends up being after 17 games. The most important aspect of the entire season is Zach Wilson's development. A scenario where any other quarterback is under center for Gang Green would be a disaster.

But you can't go into a season without exploring the possibility of games being played without Zach Wilson. It seems risky to carry only one backup quarterback.

But because the Jets can protect up to four players weekly on their practice squad, the need to have more than two quarterbacks on their active roster isn't necessary. Keep in mind, the Jets can also elevate two players from their practice squad every week. 

Unless Gang Green brings in another veteran quarterback like a Nick Foles type, Josh Johnson should be the Jets' No. 2 quarterback behind Zach Wilson.

Not only does he have the arm strength, mobility, and experience advantage over the team's current in-house options, but he also has experience in the Jets' offensive system. Johnson spent last season in San Francisco with Mike LaFleur.

Ultimately, the Jets brass may decide to go with a younger option rather than Johnson. But they shouldn't.

NY Jets running backs

• Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson, La'Mical Perine (4)

The Jets might have themselves a weekly four-headed backfield because each player in this room brings different skill sets to the table. 

Rookie Michael Carter is a complete back with great vision and cutting ability. Veteran Tevin Coleman has lost a step but brings a blend of power, speed, and experience in the Jets' new run game coordinated by former 49ers offensive line coach John Benton. 

Ty Johnson has fantastic speed and can also provide value in the passing game and at kick returner. La'Mical Perine, who looked like the odd man out when camp started, has had a good summer and is probably the team's best inside and short-yardage runner.

NY Jets wide receivers

• Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims, Keelan Cole, Braxton Berrios, Vyncint Smith (7)

It's been a long time since the Jets have had a true No. 1 wide receiver. The green and white hope they have found that in Corey Davis. 

Elijah Moore might end up being the team's most explosive player before it's all said and one. Expect the Jets offense to line him up everywhere. 

The reliable Jamison Crowder will be the subject of trade speculation all season long. But his inclusion in this offense will greatly help Zach Wilson's growth. Denzel Mims has breakout potential, but he is in a crowded receiver room. 

Keelan Cole has a chance to be one of the Jets' most valuable role players. He can play inside and outside at receiver and also return kicks and punts. Braxton Berrios has some similar traits and is a quality back-end option in the Jets passing game. 

The Jets may not carry a seventh wide receiver on their active roster. But if they do, Vyncint Smith is a strong candidate for several reasons. Not only because he is one of the team's best deep threats, but he brings value as a gunner and returner on special teams. 

NY Jets tight ends/fullback

• Tyler Kroft, Chris Herndon, Ryan Griffin, Trevon Wesco (4)

Look for the Jets to utilize their tight ends and fullback position in a similar way to that the Packers do, as interchangeable blockers in motion, on the edge, and as leads.

Mike LaFleur's offense will be a hybrid of some of the coaches he worked under, like Kyle Shanahan, but expect the rookie offensive coordinator to borrow a page from his brother Matt's playbook in Green Bay, particularly when it comes to the utilization of this position.

The early signs for Tyler Kroft, who has had durability issues in the past, are promising. He can be a factor in the red zone if he stays healthy. 

Chris Herndon is on his last legs with the Jets. It's time for him to recapture the promise he showed as a rookie. 

Ryan Griffin is one of the team's smartest and toughest players. His age (31) could work against him when final cuts occur, but he brings value to the roster as a backup. 

Trevon Wesco has a chance to break out as one of the team's best role players. The Jets do not have another player like him on their roster. So if he were to get hurt, it would affect the team in a few different areas.

Just because there are only four tight ends listed on this 53-man roster here doesn't mean that the Jets won't utilize their practice squad to elevate an additional tight end to their weekly roster. More on that later. 

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.

NY Jets defensive line

• Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankins, John Franklin-Myers, Bryce Huff, Folorunso Fatukasi, Ronald Blair, Nathan Shepherd, Jonathan Marshall, Hamilcar Rashed Jr. (9)

A lot has changed for the Jets recently at the defensive end spot. 

The team has lost mega star edge rusher Carl Lawson and proven veteran Vinny Curry for the entire season. There's no doubt that Joe Douglas has been and will be working the phones leading into the regular season.

But the Jets might have to go to war with what they have. 

In this projection, the Jets are carrying nine defensive linemen on their active roster, but I suspect that it won't last for long. Jabari Zuniga, depending on his injury status, could sneak onto the 53-man roster by default as the fifth defensive end.

But for now, John Franklin-Myers, Bryce Huff, Ronald Blair, and Hamilcar Rashed Jr. will be tasked with carrying the load on the outside.

The Jets' strength up front is their interior at defensive tackle. Provided that they both stay healthy, Quinnen Williams and Sheldon Rankins are an excellent tandem on the inside. 

Folorunso Fatukasi is an excellent run stopper, and he has value if the Jets ever decided to shop him on the open market. But the uncertainty of Williams and Rankins' health, coupled with Fatukasi's value in the trenches, should steer the Jets away from trading him. 

Jonathan Marshall has a ton of upside and looks like the prototypical pass-rushing three-technique defensive tackle in the Jets' new 4-3 scheme. The Jets could try to sneak him on the practice squad, but there are only so many players a team can prevent from losing each week.

Nathan Shepherd should make the roster, but there's a chance that he doesn't because of the numbers game. Despite the Jets making the move to a four-man front, the need for five defensive tackles isn't a great one.

But based on how good Shepherd has looked this summer, it will be hard to part ways with the former third-round pick.

NY Jets linebackers

• C.J. Mosley, Blake Cashman, Jamien Sherwood, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Noah Dawkins (5)

Now more than ever, C.J. Mosley is needed to provide the Jets with top-level play and leadership in the team's front seven.

Particularly with players like Carl Lawson, Vinny Curry, and now fellow linebacker Jarrad Davis out of the picture. Davis is expected to miss two months due to an ankle injury.

Many were surprised when the Jets drafted two safety converts on Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft. But low and behold, both Hamsah Nasirildeen and Jamien Sherwood could be key contributors on day one. 

The Jets have moved to the 4-3 defense for the first time since Herman Edwards last roamed the team's sidelines in 2005. The scheme change has changed the numbers game at this position for Gang Green. In years past, New York would keep as many as nine linebackers. 

The profile of a Jets linebacker has also drastically changed. Gone are the days of 250-260 pound players setting the edge or filling gaps. New York is looking for speedy hybrid-type players who can cover a lot of ground.

Blake Cashman is a natural fit for Jeff Ulbrich's defense, but he has had problems staying healthy his entire career. Noah Dawkins has experience playing middle linebacker but profiles as an outside linebacker in the Jets scheme. He has the physical tools to run sideline-to-sideline and cover in space.

Dawkins has been on the fringe of NFL rosters since 2019, spending last season with the Jets as a player who the team would frequently elevate from the practice squad to the active roster. In Week 1, Dawkins could be starting his first NFL game.

NY Jets defensive backs

• Bryce Hall, Blessuan Austin, Javelin Guidry, Jason Pinnock, Justin Hardee, Isaiah Dunn, Michael Carter II, Marcus Maye, Lamarcus Joyner, Sharrod Neasman, J.T. Hassell (11)

Keeping seven cornerbacks seems excessive, and there's no doubt that the Jets won't be dressing all of them on game days. But with Justin Hardee primarily as the team's elite gunner on special teams, the Jets are, in theory, keeping only six.

Initially, I had the Jets carrying eight cornerbacks and only three safeties, with Michael Carter potentially playing some safety, early in the season, if any injuries were to occur.

But the shoulder injury suffered by Brandin Echols changes things and clouds his status for Week 2. Therefore, for the time being, Sharrod Neasman and JT. Hassell make the team as backup safeties while Ashtyn Davis presumably ends up on PUP to start the year.  

The tandem of Marcus Maye and Lamarcus Joyner at safety should be intriguing to watch. How the Jets coaching staff utilizes the newly-formed pair will be fascinating.

The real story is at cornerback. Bryce Hall, Blessuan Austin, and Javelin Guidry figure in as the Jets' top three corners when the season starts. But as the year progresses, it's anyone's guess as to who will emerge as the team's best cover corners.

Draft picks Jason Pinnock, Michael Carter II, and Brandin Echols could push for playing time and potentially usurp the current top three cornerbacks. Undrafted free agent Isaiah Dunn will also be in the mix.  

• Final 53-man Roster Breakdown: 25 on offense, 25 on defense, and 3 on special teams.

• Players eligible to return from PUP or Injured Reserve: Conor McDermott [OT], Jabari Zuniga [DE], Jarrad Davis [LB], Brandin Echols [CB], Ashtyn Davis [S]

NY Jets practice squad

• James Morgan [QB], Mike White [QB], Josh Adams [RB], Lawrence Cager [WR], Jeff Smith [WR], Daniel Brown [TE], Kenny Yeboah [TE], Grant Hermanns [OT], David Moore [OG], Jimmy Murray [C], Corey Levin [C/OG], Isaiah Williams [OG/OT], Aaron Adeoye [DE], Camilo Eifler [LB], Lamar Jackson [CB], Elijah Campbell [CB] (16)

Injuries will dictate which two practice squad players get called up every week to expand the roster from 53 to 55 on game day. Based on the rules carried over from 2020, the Jets can also keep up to six veterans on their practice squad roster. 

Before the final preseason game, and because of the numbers game, it appeared that it would take a Hail Mary for Kenny Yeboah to make the Jets 53-man roster. Yeboah's heroics and two-touchdown effort against the Eagles give him a shot.

However, It won't be easy unless the Jets make a surprise cut in their tight ends room. Yeboah is certainly someone with long-term upside who the Jets should protect on their practice squad at the bare minimum.

Tight end Daniel Brown seems like a safe bet to be a weekly elevation because he is one of Brant Boyer's best players on special teams.

Carrying only two quarterbacks on the active roster creates the possibility that the Jets could have more than one signal-caller in reserve on the practice squad. Mike White could very easily trade places with Josh Johnson in this spot.

White outplayed James Morgan during the summer and seemed like the odds on favorite to be Zach Wilson's backup if Joe Douglas didn't swing a trade for a proven veteran quarterback.

Morgan ended the preseason on a very high note, storing him on the practice squad makes sense because the Jets can protect four players on their reserve roster every week from being poached by opposing teams.

So the Jets love affair with their 2020 fourth-round pick can continue and Joe Douglas won't have to risk losing Morgan if the team chooses to protect him.

Josh Adams would be the Jets' top reserve option at tailback. He will indeed be a first man-up candidate if any injuries occur in the Jets backfield.

Lawrence Cager and Jeff Smith at wide receiver have shown some good things as young players, and the Jets could keep them around. D.J. Montgomery just misses the cut, but he is also a legitimate candidate to show up here. He spent time last year on the Jets' practice squad.

The Jets will need some readily available options on the offensive line, especially if they keep only eight linemen on the active roster. The numbers game dictates having a guard, tackle, and center in reserve for those purposes.

David Moore, Grant Hermanns, Isaiah Williams, Corey Levin, and Jimmy Murray fit that criterion unless the Jets bring in some outside candidates after cuts that they prefer over them. 

Aaron Adeoye is a late signing from Baltimore. Adeoye, a true project, has some upside as a pass rusher on the edge. Despite his advanced age, he also has experience playing as a linebacker.

Adeoye's stay on this squad could be short-lived when Zuniga returns or if the Jets add to their room at the defensive end spot.

Because the Jets are only carrying five linebackers on the active roster, it makes sense for the team to have two linebackers on their practice squad for insurance purposes. The Jets may only keep one for now.

Undrafted rookie Camilo Eifler has had a good summer and seems like the perfect candidate to start the year on the practice squad. He could potentially be the first player called up if the situation arises.

Cornerback Lamar Jackson started last season on the practice squad for the Jets. It might be his destination again because of the numbers game.

Defensive back Elijah Campbell finished last season on the Jets active roster. He has 4.30 speed, can play outside at the corner spot, inside in the slot, or at safety. Versatile players are a very important trait for teams to have on their practice squad in what is now a 17-game season.

More important than the Jets' win-loss total this season will be the development of their young players. The Jets have one of the youngest rosters in all of football and the team has so many first, second, and third-year players slated to play key roles this coming season.

Couple that with a rookie head coach in Robert Saleh and a rookie offensive coordinator in Mike LaFleur, the nickname Gang Green has never been more fitting.