NY Jets TE Lawrence Cager has been an under-the-radar summer star

The NY Jets have seen their fair share of notable standouts this summer, but one training camp star who has flown under the radar has been wide-receiver-turned-tight-end Lawrence Cager.

Cager was originally signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Georgia standout went on to appear in two games as a rookie, hauling in two passes for 35 yards, although he spent most of the year on the practice squad.

The Jets waived Cager the following year as part of final roster cuts and he'd end up being picked up by the Cleveland Browns. After appearing in just one game for the Browns, the Jets re-signed Cager to a reserve/future contract this past January.

This time, the Jets planned to move Cager to the tight end position in an effort to capitalize on his size. The results this summer have been promising as Cager has seamlessly adapted to his new position.

Don't count out Lawrence Cager making a run at the NY Jets' 53-man roster

Cager has strung together a few standout practices this week. The 24-year-old hauled in a pair of impressive catches on Tuesday including a one-handed grab on an errant throw by Chris Streveler and a 20-yard leaping reception from Mike White.

On Thursday, Cager was arguably the Jets' most productive receiver catching all four passes thrown his way in the team's first set of 11-on-11 drills.

While still a roster longshot, Cager is doing everything he can to make a strong impression this summer. The Baltimore native flashed in the Jets' first preseason game last Friday, finishing with two catches for a team-leading 40 yards.

In fact, Cager's 92.7 Pro Football Focus grade made him the highest-rated Jets player in Friday's preseason opener. He's impressed when given the chance and might force the Jets to make a difficult decision in a couple of weeks.

If Cager continues to excel over the coming days, the Jets might have to seriously consider carrying four tight ends to keep him around on the active roster. That would force the team to make cuts at other positions, such as maybe only carrying five wide receivers.

At the very least, Cager seems to have solidified a spot on the practice squad as a developmental tight end project.

Entering his third year in the NFL, many seem to have forgotten all about Lawrence Cager. But he's been on a mission to ensure that's not the case this summer.