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In football practices, almost every good play or series on one side of the ball often means that the other side of the ball didn’t fare as well.
Towards the end of practice, QB Geno Smith led an impressive drive downfield with passes to TE Mason Taylor, WR Garrett Wilson, and a beautiful strike to WR Amari Cooper in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown.
Terrific offensive possession.
Defensively, not so much.
One potential issue for the Jets’ secondary was on display on this play – so-so speed on the back end.
On all three of these plays, guys were late getting over to the receiver.
The Jets have plenty of talent in the secondary, and should be much-improved from last year, but aside from CB D’Angelo Ponds, who is sidelined, it’s not a secondary blessed with great collective speed. So it’s incumbent on the Jets front to get pressure to ensure the back end doesn’t have to hold on an island too long.
With a good pass rusher, this secondary should be just fine.
Once again, not a lack of talent at all, just not a lot of burners aside from Ponds .. .
With his limited reps, defensive tackle Jack Heflin continues to make plays. Early in practice, Heflin bolted past guard Xavier Newman to stop Kene Nwangwu for a loss.
Later in practice, guard Kohl Levao locked up DT Darrell Jackson, opening up a big hole for RB Chip Trayanum. Jackson’s pad level was a little high on this play, making it easy for Levao to push him inside and open up a big hole.
Heflin has had a better camp than Jackson, but there is no way he can beat him out. Jackson was a fourth-round pick, and Heflin a street free agent.
I’m not saying Jackson should be cut. Not at all. He’s done some good things, just saying Heflin has had the better camp. There is really not open competition at most positions, with most roster spots decided before camp starts. Don’t take this as a shot at the Jets. It is the case in almost every NFL camp, every year . . .
Jets are going to have a tough decision to make at tight end.
It looks like rookie Kenyon Sadiq is close to coming back from a groin injury (he was doing a lot of running and cutting today on the rehab field), and they also have Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert and Jelani Woods. But it really doesn’t stop there. Also in the mix is TE/FB Andrew Beck, who is a solid, consistent player. Saw two nice plays from Beck today: catching a TD from Smith, and he also had a nice block on a Trayanum touchdown run. Beck is also a very good special-teams player.
It would not be out of the realm of possibility if the Jets kept all five . . .
Saw Darren Mougey watching practice today with Jets personnel executive Rick Spielman.
Spielman has been in Florham Park for the last month at training camp. He generally operates out of the Sanibel Island area for most of the year as a consultant to Mougey and Aaron Glenn on player personnel, but he has been in town all camp.
What a great resource for Mougey and Glenn in making roster decisions. The Jets had an impressive personnel off-season on paper, in both the draft and free agency, and don’t minimize the sage advice they both got from the two-time NFL GM (Miami and Minnesota) in making a lot of these moves.
Underrated commodity in Jets football operation . . .
OLB Joseph Ossai had two nice plays against the run today. He’s really going to help the Jets make a quantum leap against the run from last year, when this was an area of weakness.
Speaking of helping the Jets run defense, nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat, Ossai’s former teammate at Texas, was also a huge, literally and figuratively, addition to buttress the front four.
The Jets got a little scare today in practice when Sweat came up limping after a play. He stayed in the lineup, so he should be fine, but he was definitely hobbling at one point.
While on the topic of Ossai and Sweat, the OLB is not only going to help the Jets as a run defender and edge-rusher, he’s also going ot help them get the most out of Sweat.
Ossai has off-the-charts leadership and character, and is very close with Sweat, so don’t underestimate how much these old friends and fellow Texans push each other.
August 24, 2026
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