The Jets will be on the field for real in two weeks against the Bills to open the 2023 season.
There are high expectations and good vibes surrounding the team after the addition of Aaron Rodgers this offseason to go along with a defense that was in the top 5 last year.
But there are still some questions about these Jets.
Here are my biggest questions about the team as the Jets transition from training camp to the regular season:
Will it take a while for the running game to get going?
The Jets have been missing a lot of pieces from their running game this summer. Breece Hall missed most of training camp and did not play in the preseason. Dalvin Cook has yet to practice with the Jets since signing with the team two weeks ago.
On the offensive line, Duane Brown just returned to practice and did not play in the preseason. Alijah Vera-Tucker and Laken Tomlinson missed some time. The starting offensive line will not have practiced together in team drills until this week.
All of this could lead to some early struggles as the group tries to come together.
“It’s going to take time to mesh all that together, new O-line and all that good stuff,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “I have faith in the fact that we’ll get it going sooner rather than later.”
Rodgers will cover a lot of warts for the Jets and this is one he surely can help early in the season, but at some point the Jets will need to have a strong running game to achieve their lofty goals.
Do they have enough depth in the secondary?
The Jets starting secondary might be one of the best in the NFL. Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed certainly form one of the best cornerback tandems in football. But there is not much depth at either cornerback or safety. Brandin Echols is a solid backup cornerback but is suspended for Week 1. After him, there are question marks. Adrian Amos will back up Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams at safety and there is a battle after that between Ashtyn Davis and Trey Dean for the fourth spot. If the Jets stay healthy here, this is not an issue, but it is something that could be a headache.
Which receiver will step up after Garrett Wilson?
Wilson looks ready to have a monster season catching the ball from Rodgers. The rest of the receiver group is a little bit of a mystery. Allen Lazard, the team’s big free-agent signing, has been underwhelming in camp and is dealing with a shoulder injury. It is going to be hard for him to live up to his $44 million price tag.
In the slot, Randall Cobb has passed Mecole Hardman. While Cobb is clearly a favorite of Rodgers, it is fair to ask how much the 33-year-old has left. The retirement of Corey Davis left this room one receiver shorter than expected. We’ll see who makes it from the roster bubble and if he can contribute. Douglas also may look to add a receiver off the waiver wire this week.
Can the defense stop the run?
Look, there is no question that the Jets’ defense is going to be great against the pass. The defensive line will get after the quarterback and the secondary is strong. But I am not positive how this unit will fare against good running teams. Al Woods certainly was a nice addition in the middle to replace Sheldon Rankins, but the defense was middle of the pack against the run last season and that could be the case again this year.
How will Nathaniel Hackett do as offensive coordinator?
Hackett has not received much scrutiny about how his offense will look in his first year with the Jets. It helps when you have Rodgers at quarterback. Everyone [probably rightly] believes Rodgers will figure things out. But Hackett does have to make the entire offense go. He was successful with Rodgers in Green Bay but was not the primary play-caller there. The Jets have not had an offensive coordinator last on the job for more than two years since 2011. It is a tough job. We’ll see how Hackett fares.
