Here's what the NY Jets WR depth chart looks like without Elijah Moore
By Justin Fried
The NY Jets were dealt yet another major blow to their offense on Saturday when it was announced that the team had placed rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore on the injured reserve with a quad injury.
Moore had missed the entire week of practice but was listed as questionable on the team's final injury report indicating that there was still a chance he might be able to play. Instead, the Jets opted to place Moore on IR sidelining him for at least the next three games.
While the hope is that he will only miss three games, there are only five games left in the season, to begin with. Moore joins fellow starting wide receiver Corey Davis on the injured reserve, although Davis' injury is expected to keep him out for the rest of the year.
The Jets have now lost their top two wide receivers in the span of seven days. What's left? Where does the team go from here?
What does the NY Jets wide receiver depth chart look like following Elijah Moore's injury?
The Jets are expected to start Keelan Cole, Denzel Mims, and Jamison Crowder at wide receiver on Sunday. They also have Braxton Berrios but not Jeff Smith who landed on the COVID-19 list earlier in the week.
That leaves the team with just four healthy wide receivers on the active roster and two backups starting on the outside. The Jets did elevate practice squad members Vyncint Smith and D.J. Montgomery ahead of this game giving them a little additional depth.
Smith has spent the entire 2021 season on the practice squad and is yet to appear in a game. He's played in 20 career games with the Jets catching 17 passes for 225 yards. Montgomery has never appeared in an NFL game.
Cole and Mims will be the biggest beneficiaries of the Jets' wide receiver injuries with both players in line for starting roles on Sunday. Mims, in particular, could look to use these final five games as an audition of sorts as he looks to establish a role in 2022 and beyond.
The Jets are hurting at the wide receiver position, and really everywhere on both sides of the ball. Elijah Moore's injury is just the latest blow in what has been an injury-riddled campaign for Gang Green.