NY Jets are not considering moving George Fant to guard

The NY Jets bolstered their offensive line in a big way when they signed veteran tackle Morgan Moses late last month. But while his signing was good news for the overall offense, it wasn't exactly welcoming news for the incumbent George Fant.

Fant was the Jets' starting right tackle last season, but it's hard to see him filling the same role in 2021 with Moses now on the team.

Some began to speculate that the Jets could opt to move Fant inside to right guard given the obvious hole at the position. But it doesn't appear as though that's in the plans.

Connor Hughes of The Athletic reported on Thursday that moving Fant to guard is "not something the Jets are considering right now." That's a notion that should be relatively obvious.

The NY Jets are not considering moving George Fant to guard.

A former undrafted free agent, Fant signed with the Jets prior to the 2020 season eyeing a full-time starting job at left tackle after primarily being used as a swing tackle with the Seattle Seahawks.

That changed once the Jets drafted Mekhi Becton, but Fant still retained a starting role starting all 14 games he played at right tackle last season.

But with Moses now on the roster, it's expected that the longtime Washington tackle will take Fant's starting job. Rather than being moved to guard, however, it's likely that Fant will serve as an expensive swing tackle.

An important role given Becton's recent health concerns.

Moving Fant to guard never made sense for a variety of reasons. For starters, he's quite literally never played the position in his life. Not in the NFL. Not in college. No even in high school.

Asking the soon-to-be 29-year-old Fant to learn a completely new position in just two months just isn't feasible. Not to mention, his skill set isn't ideal for the position either.

Fant is a nimble, athletic pass protector who's at his best when operating in space. But he lacks the raw power to hold up in the interior. Even with reps, it's hard to envision Fant as a full-time starting guard.

Instead, the Jets will roll into training camp with a competition between veterans Greg Van Roten, Alex Lewis, and Dan Feeney for the starting right guard job.

Fant might not have a defined starting job, but that doesn't mean his role is any less important. You could even argue that, while Moses is an upgrade over Fant, the greater upgrade is Fant over fellow backup tackles Chuma Edoga and Conor McDermott.

Now, if Becton (or Moses) were to go down with an injury, it would be Fant stepping into a starting role — not Edoga or McDermott.

The Jets have quality offensive line depth and George Fant is a major part of that. What he won't be a part of, however, is the starting five.