NY Jets TE Tyler Conklin shines in Saturday's scrimmage

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Tyler Conklin / Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The NY Jets held their annual Green and White Scrimmage on Saturday, and among the more notable standouts was tight end Tyler Conklin. In fact, no player shined brighter on that night than Conklin.

The 27-year-old was by far the most active player on Saturday, hauling in a whopping seven catches combined between 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. His most impressive catch came early in 7-on-7s when he skied into the air, shielded the defender with his body, and made an acrobatic leaping grab.

That catch set the tone for what would be a very busy day for the former Minnesota Vikings tight end. On Zach Wilson's first drive in 11-on-11s, Conklin hauled in two of his QB's three completions.

Conklin also recorded the first official touchdown of the scrimmage, a 10-yard slant over the middle from Wilson on a three-step drop. Facing a 3rd-and-5, Wilson dropped back and found an open Conklin who beat his man off the snap for an easy score.

There were a few notable standouts from the event, but Conklin undoubtedly stole the show.

Tyler Conklin could be primed for a big season with the NY Jets

The Jets signed Conklin to a three-year, $20.25 million contract in the offseason to help bolster a tight end depth chart that has been barren for the last decade-plus. But Conklin wasn't the only addition the Jets made at the position.

The team also signed former Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah to a similar contract, and the early assumption was that Uzomah would be the lead guy for the Jets. However, Conklin has quickly emerged as a go-to target for Wilson this summer.

The former Central Michigan standout has been one of the stars of the summer, and he solidified his place on the roster during Saturday's scrimmage. Uzomah will get his snaps, but Conklin is the clear No. 1 tight end for the Jets.

It wouldn't even be a surprise to see Conklin finish as the Jets' second-leading receiver at this point. That's how impressive he's been throughout training camp.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh remarked after the practice that Conklin has been a "pleasant surprise," calling him a "complete tight end."

Perhaps the Jets didn't expect Conklin to hit the ground running as he has. Perhaps they didn't expect him to establish chemistry with Wilson as quickly as he's done.

Whatever the case, it's impossible to ignore the fact that Tyler Conklin has been the talk of Jets training camp. Saturday's scrimmage only confirmed that to a much larger audience.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.