Football is back, baby!

The New York Jets rookies reported on July 18th and the rest of the team will follow on Tuesday, July 23rd. The first practice is on Wednesday, July 24th and that’s when we officially get started.

Before we get there, our Jets Digital Reporter for Heavy, Paul “Boy Green” Esden Jr., will predict who will make the final 53-man roster.

Projection of the 53-man selection for the attack

Quarterbacks (3)

This is as set in stone as any other position on the list. The only potential mystery is the health status of Florida State rookie Jordan Travis.

He suffered a gruesome broken leg during his last campaign with the Seminoles and should be the third quarterback if he is ready by the time the season starts.

However, if injury problems persist, the Jets may have to place Travis on IR in 2024, forcing Gang Green to find an alternative option for the third quarterback role.

Walking back (4)

The top three are absolute roster locks. Hall is a rising star and the other two are rookies (Allen and Davis). GM Joe Douglas has only cut one rookie the same year he drafted them. That was Zack Kuntz last year, a seventh-round draft pick. After he cleared waivers, the team brought him back to the practice squad later that week.

Wide receiver (7)

This will be a fascinating roster/depth chart battle to keep an eye on over the next few weeks. There are several roster locks in this group, but the back end of the depth chart is fascinating.

Team insiders can’t stop raving about Brownlee as a “dark horse” player to watch. Statistically, he didn’t do much during his rookie campaign, but there have been some flashes.

Tight end (3)

Conklin and Ruckert are absolute certainties, but the third spot in this group is still up for grabs. Yeboah has the edge heading into camp with his special teams prowess and the love of the coaching staff.

Kuntz is a fun player to mess with in Madden, but if he doesn’t make any big strides during training camp, he’s likely destined for the practice squad.

Offensive line (10)

The Jets kept only nine offensive linemen last year, and Douglas later admitted that was a mistake. I think he’ll make up for it this year with some extra padding in the trenches.

The surprise of this group and perhaps one of the best stories from the training camp is that of Kohl Levao.

The former UFL star forged a unique path to the NFL, and Levao’s versatility is incredibly attractive to a team that has been plagued by injuries in recent years.

Projection of the 53-man roster for defense and special teams

Defense Line (10)

The straw that makes the Jets tick is their attacking style of defense, their overall depth and the defensive line. New York likes to attack opponents in waves, which keeps everyone fresh throughout the game.

To execute that strategy, the Jets need a lot of talented players, and they have them this year. This is a nice balance of veterans, superstars, and some unknown, undrafted free-agent gems.

In this projection I have both Watts and LT3 making the 53-man roster. Both players went undrafted in April’s draft but have impressive resumes and/or impressive physique/talent.

Linebackers (4)

The Jets have one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL, with Pro Football Focus even naming the green-and-white team their top unit in June.

Sherwood feels like a lock as a key special teamer and top backup option. There could be a path to four or five linebackers hitting 53, but in this scenario I’m going with four. Surratt is someone the coaching staff raved about last year.

Corner defenders (5)

Sorry to all the other cornerbacks on the 90-man roster, this unit is already a stone-cold lock. The top three is the best trio of corners in the game. Echols is an excellent backup who has experience starting.

The final member of this group is the former CFL Rookie of the Year. Stiggers may be a special teamer exclusive in his rookie campaign, but he has shown some incredible flashes during practice. He will be a fun player to watch in camp to see if he can keep up with the speed of the game.

Safety precautions (4)

It will be very difficult for anyone to steal a roster spot from any of these four safeties. Clark and Adams are the expected starters. Davis and Oliver also appear to be permanent roster members based on their contracts.

The player to watch is Mr. Irrelevant, Jaylen Key, who the Jets selected out of Alabama. A very talented player who the front office and coaching staff seem to like.

Special teams (3)

There’s not much to add here. This is one of the best special teams units in the league and the Jets were able to keep both Zuerlein and Morstead, who were scheduled to be free agents this offseason.