NY Jets rookie Olu Fashanu earning rave reviews at minicamp

The NY Jets understandably have high expectations for rookie offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, who the team selected with the 11th overall pick in the first round of this year's draft.

While it's normal for rookie offensive linemen to take some time to acclimate to the NFL game, Fashanu is already earning high praise from his coaching staff.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke to reporters on Wednesday and revealed that Fashanu was highlighted in the team's meeting that morning for his impressive performance during Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice.

Fashanu has spent the entire spring working at left tackle, filling in with the first-team offense during Tyron Smith's scheduled off days. The former Penn State star has more than held his own with the starters when given the opportunity.

Olu Fashanu is already impressing NY Jets coaches

There were definitely moments during OTAs last month when Fashanu looked like a rookie. Jets X Factor's Robby Sabo, who was in attendance for Jets spring practices, noted that Fashanu is still "learning the ropes" as an NFL player.

That's to be expected for a rookie offensive lineman. It's extremely rare to see a young offensive lineman immediately perform at a high level in the NFL, especially during their first few practices in the league.

That said, Fashanu's progress over the course of the last few weeks has been notable. The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt insisted that while Fashanu had an "up-and-down" showing during OTAs, he really "started to come into his own by minicamp."

The Jets seem to be happy keeping Fashanu at exclusively left tackle entering the 2024 season. He will be much-needed insurance behind Smith, who hasn't played more than 13 games in a season since 2015.

It will be interesting to see if the Jets try out Fashanu at any other position during the course of the season if other injuries occur. Right now, second-year tackle Carter Warren is penciled in as Morgan Moses's primary backup at right tackle.

The Jets didn't draft Fashanu with the expectation that he would start immediately, but the team is well aware of Smith's injury history. Moses is also coming off offseason shoulder surgery and could be on a limited practice plan for training camp.

The bottom line is that Olu Fashanu will find his way onto the field in some capacity as a rookie. The early signs coming out of Jets minicamp have been very encouraging.