SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The biggest current question for the 2023 Jets is who will play offensive tackle.
Could the answer be residing elsewhere on the line?
Head coach Robert Saleh left open the possibility the Jets could move right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to tackle if that would create the best starting combination.
“We’re going to play our best five, and if that’s how one of them shake up, that’s something we’re going to have to talk about,” Saleh said.
Vera-Tucker has worked exclusively at right guard during training camp, but he did make one start at left tackle last year and three at right tackle before he suffered a torn triceps that ended his season.
He played well at tackle before the injury, demonstrating his versatility.
The Jets love Vera-Tucker at guard, but their struggles at tackle may necessitate considering a position switch again.
Duane Brown is still on the physically unable to perform list.
When he returns, he is expected to be the starting left tackle.
Billy Turner and Max Mitchell have been competing for the starting right tackle spot in camp, but both have been underwhelming.
Mekhi Becton might have the highest ceiling of all the tackles, but he has still been slotting behind Turner and Mitchell as he works his way back to full strength after he had right knee surgery last year.
The offensive line got beat up by the Panthers’ defensive front on Wednesday.
Mitchell, in particular, had a rough day.
That led to questions on Thursday about Vera-Tucker moving outside.
“AVT is a very special football player,” Saleh said. “You guys know how we feel about AVT, and what he did a year ago is unprecedented in football, so we’ve got full confidence.
“Like I’ve said, we want to keep him at guard as best we can, because we think he’s an All-Pro guard, would still be an unbelievable tackle, probably a Pro Bowl tackle, but we know that we will be his absolute best on the inside, but his versatility is obviously very beneficial.”
The only way the Jets would move Vera-Tucker to tackle is if they feel that his replacement at right guard is better than the alternatives at tackle.
Last season, the Jets felt good about Nate Herbig when they moved Vera-Tucker.
Herbig is now with the Steelers, so this year, Wes Schweitzer is the most logical candidate to start at right guard if Vera-Tucker were to move outside.
Vera-Tucker, in his third year out of USC, said he is willing to play wherever needed.
“You all know me,” Vera-Tucker said. “I’ve said it plenty of times before. I’m going to play wherever the team needs me to play, wherever they think I fit best on this offensive line. So, whether that’s guard or tackle, it really don’t matter to me.
“I’m going to go out there and do my thing to the fullest. Right now, everything’s pretty set, but like last year, things can change in a heartbeat.”
Vera-Tucker said he has been focused on right guard during training camp, but said he does work in the offseason at both tackle and guard positions to get his footwork right for each spot.
Last year, he worked for a few weeks at tackle in practice before he was a surprise starter in Week 4 at Pittsburgh. Vera-Tucker said some advance notice of a position switch would be beneficial.
“It would help to have time,” Vera-Tucker said. “I’m pretty sure anybody would appreciate the time, but if something goes bad goes down — knock on wood that nothing happens — I could go out there and perform at a high level.”
The offensive line had a better day Thursday, but it was a practice without pads and against their own defense again.
Saleh said the Jets still have time for the line to click.
“My optimistic side will say we have time,” Saleh said. “Duane is coming back, there’s still a lot of pieces, we’ve got some cards in our back pocket that we can use, but as a coach, you want it done yesterday.
“We want these guys rolling, we want confidence, we want to start humming, but I also understand all the different moving parts and verbiage and new scheme.”
