NY Jets final 53-man roster prediction: Many tough cuts were made

NY Jets safeties (4)

• Jordan Whitehead
• Tony Adams
• Adrian Amos
• Ashtyn Davis

Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams are roster locks as the Jets' projected starting safeties. It's been a meteoric rise for Adams, who has gone from undrafted rookie last season to Week 1 starting free safety in just a year's time.

Those are the only two safeties guaranteed roster spots, though. Yes, that includes veteran Adrian Amos. Amos has been quiet this summer and could be among the more surprising cuts the Jets make. I still gave him the nod, but I wouldn't be stunned if he was released.

That's primarily because the Jets have two other safeties who have made strong cases for roster spots — special-teams regular Ashtyn Davis and undrafted rookie Trey Dean.

Davis gets the slight nod because the Jets really value his special-teams experience. It was very difficult to leave Dean off the roster, and I wouldn't be shocked if the Jets carried five safeties. Keeping Chazz Surratt, however, allows me to justify cutting Dean.

NY Jets specialists (3)

• Greg Zuerlein (K)
• Thomas Morstead (P)
• Thomas Hennessy (LS)

This is the best special-teams core the Jets have had in a long time. Greg Zuerlein has been automatic for most of the summer. Thomas Morstead is an instant upgrade over Braden Mann. Thomas Hennessy is as consistent as any long snapper in the league.

The Jets should feel very confident in their special-teams unit.

NY Jets reserve lists

• Carter Warren (IR)
• Jarrick Bernard-Converse (PUP)
• Brandin Echols (suspended)

This prediction also projects that the Jets will make these three roster moves. Jarrick Bernard-Converse hasn't practiced all summer and seems likely to land on the PUP list to start the season.

Bernard-Converse and Echols will not have to be members of the initial 53-man roster. That's not true for Warren, though, as the rookie tackle will have to be on the initial roster before being transferred to the injured reserve.

The difference here is that a player cannot be placed on the PUP list if they practiced/played in a game during training camp. Bernard-Converse can be transferred from the active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP list. Warren needs to be placed on the injured reserve.

This just means that the Jets will have to make one temporary roster move before placing Warren on IR. That could mean a vested veteran like Nick Bawden, Billy Turner, or Justin Hardee gets released with a handshake agreement to re-sign them in the near future.