Wide receiver has been a position of weakness on the Jets for much of this decade. There were a few years of Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards or Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, but for the most part it has been a position of need.
But in 2018, the Jets actually have some depth at wide receiver, and it could be where Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan faces his toughest decisions this weekend as the team cuts its roster from 90 to 53 players.
An interesting wrinkle developed during training camp with veteran journeymen Charles Johnson and Tre McBride outperforming 2017 draft picks Chad Hansen and ArDarius Stewart. It sets up an interesting debate between production and draft status. Under Maccagnan, the Jets have been reluctant to cut draft picks. Only one of his picks has been sent packing on cutdown weekend. But that could change this weekend.
Wide receiver is the top roster battle I will be watching, but tight end, cornerback and outside linebacker also feature some hard decisions.
The Jets play their final preseason game Thursday night against the Eagles. It will be the final chance for the players on the bubble to make their case for a roster spot.
Here is my prediction entering the final preseason game for what the Jets’ 53-man roster will look like after Saturday’s cuts:
Offense
Quarterback (2): Sam Darnold, Josh McCown.
The only question at this position was whether Teddy Bridgewater would make it or get traded. We got the answer Wednesday, when they shipped him to New Orleans. It is now the Darnold show.
Running back (4): Bilal Powell, Isaiah Crowell, Eli McGuire, Trenton Cannon.
McGuire is recovering from a broken foot and is a candidate for short-term IR, but I think he will be healthy soon, and the Jets could carry him on the roster for a few weeks. There was a battle at fullback in camp between Lawrence Thomas and Dimitri Flowers. I think the Jets will cut both to give them flexibility elsewhere.
Wide receiver (7): Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, Quincy Enunwa, Terrelle Pryor, Tre McBride, Charone Peake, Andre Roberts.
There is still a question of whether Anderson will be suspended. For now, we have to assume he is not going to be. ArDarius Stewart is suspended, so the Jets can delay a decision on him. Roberts, who is the punt returner, and Peake are special teams decisions. I give McBride the edge over Hansen. He had a terrific camp.
Tight end (4): Eric Tomlinson, Chris Herndon, Jordan Leggett, Neal Sterling.
This is a tough position to figure out. All of the tight ends had good camps. I am cutting Clive Walford because I think Sterling gives them a speed element. By not carrying a fullback, the Jets can keep four tight ends and use one of them as a fullback when needed.
Offensive line (8): Spencer Long, Brian Winters, James Carpenter, Kelvin Beachum, Brandon Shell, Jonotthan Harrison, Dakota Dozier, Brent Qvale.
I don’t see many difficult decisions here. The Jets need a backup left tackle, though. Look for Maccagnan to try to add one this weekend.
Defense
Defensive line (6): Steve McLendon, Leonard Williams, Nathan Shepherd, Mike Pennel, Henry Anderson, Folorunso Fatukasi.
I think this is the end of the line for Deon Simon, a 2015 draft pick. Xavier Cooper could hang on here.
Outside linebacker (4): Jordan Jenkins, Josh Martin, Frankie Luvu, Brandon Copeland.
Luvu crashes the party as an undrafted free agent. Lorenzo Mauldin looks like a goner. Dylan Donahue was a tough decision for me, but I just have not seen enough from him, especially when you consider his off-the-field issues.
Inside linebacker (4): Darron Lee, Avery Williamson, Neville Hewitt, Kevin Minter.
No tough decisions here with Kevin Pierre-Louis injured and suspended.
Cornerback (6): Trumaine Johnson, Morris Claiborne, Buster Skrine, Darryl Roberts, Parry Nickerson, Derrick Jones.
It came down to Jones and Juston Burris for the last spot. I give the edge to Jones, who showed promise early in camp. Burris has not improved enough to stick around.
Safety (5): Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye, Doug Middleton, J.J. Wilcox, Terrence Brooks.
I had Brooks getting cut until the Bridgewater trade. Now, the Jets can keep all five of these guys. There is depth at the position, and they provide special teams help.
Specialists (3): Jason Myers, Lachlan Edwards, Thomas Hennessy.
The Jets could bring in another kicker before the season starts. Myers has the edge right now over Taylor Bertolet.