Twenty Things we Learned about the 2021 Jets During Pre-Season

The Jets closed out the 2021 pre-season by tying the Eagles 31-31 on a last-second Hail Mary from quarterback James Morgan to rookie tight end Kenny Yeboah which was followed by a successful 2-point conversion on a run up the middle from Josh Adams.  But what did we learn over the full course of training camp and pre-season action?

• Zach Wilson passed all of the tests.  Looked good, played well and carried himself like a veteran.  Now the real bullets start to fly and he hopes to dial it up a notch.
• Ty Johnson should be the starting running back.  As we mentioned here, Johnson’s opportunities were grossly limited last season and he has shown everything you look for in a starting running back.  He’s decisive, explosive and as he showed last night, is more than willing to lower his shoulder if he goes between the tackles.  No matter who the starter is, expect several Jets backs to get plenty of work, but Johnson should be atop the depth chart.
• Signing Dan Feeney was a mistake.  The veteran lineman has looked terrible and if not for a $3 million cap hit would probably not make the roster.  Still not convinced he does.
• As if we didn’t already know, the corners are going to make a lot of mistakes.  That being said, Brandin Echols should be paired with Bryce Hall to start at corner.
• Corey Davis looked to be a player whose stock was rising as he left Tennesee and he certainly seems to have picked up where he left off.  Davis will be a problem for defenses this season.
• If we’re being honest, Josh Johnson would be a better QB2 than any of the other QB’s on the roster at this point.
• From top to bottom this receiver group should be as good as advertised.  Almost every guy on the depth chart made noise at some point over the past month.  If there’s not a way to keep him on the roster, Lawrence Cager would be a very good practice squad stash.
• The starting D-line saw very little action but Foley Fatukasi looks primed for a big season.  Tanzel Smart has made himself a very difficult player to cut as the team looks to get down to 53.
• Citadel product Noah Dawkins saw lots of action and could manage to stick.
• Matt Ammendola looks impressed.  Do the Jets finally have a long-term answer at kicker?
• Blake Cashman stayed healthy and his versatility probably locks him in to a roster spot.
• Strong showing from Javelin Guidry who looks to have won the starting nickel job.
• Chris Herndon failed to win the starting job, but is still a better all-around player than anyone behind him on the roster.  He and Tyler Kroft could form a nice 1-2 punch.
• Connor McGovern and Greg Van Roten are on the upswing.
• La’Mical Perine looked better than he did at any point last season which has to make Joe Douglas a very happy man.
• Vyncint Smith probably makes this roster and will presumably share time with Denzel Mims for the foreseeable future.
• Jabari Zuniga was invisible, which can’t possibly make Joe Douglas a very happy man.
• Rookie outside linebackers Hamsah Nasirildeen and Jamien Sherwood will start early.  Expect a bigger impact from Nasirildeen as they settle in at the pro level.
• CJ Mosley looks like he’ll be just fine at MLB after dropping weight to move from 3-4 to 4-3 defense.
• For all of the pre-season hope/hype, undrafted free agent cornerback Isaiah Dunn looked nowhere near ready as opposing quarterbacks picked him apart.

Bonus 21st observation:

We can’t say we “learned” a whole lot about a guy who didn’t line up in any games, but there is every reason to expect Elijah Moore to have a huge impact. It seemed no matter who lined up against him, nobody had anything close to an answer in how to slow him down.