NY Jets add even more OL depth with Yodny Cajuste signing

The NY Jets have made it a priority to improve their offensive line depth this offseason, and that trend continued on Tuesday as the team reportedly signed former New England Patriots offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste.

Brian Costello of the New York Post is reporting that the Jets have signed the former Patriots' third-round pick following a successful visit with the team on Monday last week. Cajuste also visited the New York Giants but ultimately signed with the Jets.

The former West Virginia standout joins a very crowded Jets offensive tackle room that also features the likes of Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown, Max Mitchell, Billy Turner, and fourth-round rookie Carter Warren.

The Jets released veteran Cedric Ogbuehi earlier this month but essentially replace him with Cajuste, who has a handful of NFL starts to his name. It will be an uphill battle for Cajuste to secure a roster spot, but the Jets have clearly made building their offensive line depth a top priority.

Yodny Cajuste adds further depth to a crowded NY Jets offensive line

The 101st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Cajuste missed the first two seasons of his NFL career due to injury. A quad injury kept him sidelined for his rookie campaign while a knee injury prevented him from playing in 2020.

It wasn't until the 2021 season that Cajuste finally saw playing time, appearing in seven games and making two starts, both at right tackle. He returned as a backup tackle in 2022, making ten appearances and three starts.

Cajuste has battled injuries throughout his entire career, both in college and the NFL. That said, the Jets probably like his physical upside and versatility. Although he's only played right tackle in the pros, Cajuste played plenty of left tackle in college.

Barring injury, though, it seems unlikely that Cajuste will survive roster cuts. Becton, Brown, Turner, Mitchell, and Warren will all be ahead of him on the depth chart. Even if one of those players suffers an injury, Cajuste still might be fighting an uphill battle.

Of course, it never hurts to bring in extra offensive line depth. The Jets saw essentially their entire offensive tackle room wiped out by injuries last season and clearly made it a point of emphasis to ensure that doesn't happen again in 2023.

Cajuste isn't the most high-profile addition, but he represents a greater philosophy for this Jets team. They're loading up on as much offensive line depth as is feasible.