The goal of the Jets entering this offseason was to build around defender Zach Wilson.
Election number 2 last year needed help. He needed players and protection that his predecessor Sam Darnold never had. He needed a defense that could bring the ball back to him and not give up 54 points in a game.
Now that the lifting of the creation of the free agency list and the project is over, it seems that CEO Joe Douglas has achieved what he set out to do.
The Jets list has no more holes than a bad script. The jets have legitimate wide receiver options, back running and tight end. The offensive line looks solid, if not spectacular. The defense should be able to affect the opposing defender and play football games, which was rare last season.
The pressure would be on Wilson this season, no matter what the Jets did or didn’t do this offseason. That comes with the job description. But the Jets quarterbacks’ excuse for most of the last decade is gone. No one can say the Jets don’t give Wilson a chance.
Now it’s Wilson’s turn to take the next step.
Zach Wilson Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
No one says he has to be a Pro Bowler this year, but he has to show progress from his rookie season. The Jets need to know by the end of Year 2 that he is their franchise defender and have no doubts.
Look at what Douglas has surrounded him with. He has a legitimate body of NFL receivers with Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and Corey Davis. He has a two-headed monster running with Michael Carter and Breece Hall. He has good targets in the C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Conkiln and Jeremy Ruckert.
It should be noted that this is still a very young group. Jets fans are thrilled with the team’s draft class, and rightly so, but not all beginners will be ready to contribute on Day 1. Remember that last year Moore and Carter didn’t make it to mid-season. It may take a few years for this group to reach its full potential. If the Jets were newborns last year, now they are small children. They learned to crawl. Now it’s time to start walking. Eventually, they will be able to run.
Even with the youth in mind, this is the best offense the Jets have had on paper since 2016. There are no pins at every position, but there are no obvious holes. The offensive line has huge potential, with pro Bowler Laken Tomlinson joining a group that has improved over the past year and will have a healthy Mekhi Becton back. People seem to forget how promising Becton was as a beginner. If he can stay on the field, he will be a key player.
Joe Douglas Bill Kostroun
In defense, the Jets will not cross their fingers. The defensive line looks strong with Carl Lawson returning after the injury of Achilles, Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankins and John Frankiln-Myers back and Jermaine Johnson II has joined the group. Secondary is better with the addition of Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed and Jordan Whitehead.
This will not be a top 10 defense, but neither should it be in 32nd place like last year.
“I feel like we’ve added some really good pieces on offense and added two very good pieces on defense,” Douglas said after the third round of the draft, “making sure we protect him on the line of play and add quality. tight heads, good quality boys, quality back. I feel that we are trying to build a strong and balanced team. Not just the attack, it’s the team. ”
The biggest question now is how Wilson will play. Will he look like he did in the first eight games last year, when he threw 11 interceptions, or like he did in the last five games when he didn’t throw any? Can he combine his ability to play with the intelligence of making an easy throw sometimes?
Douglas and the Jets had a lot of victories this spring. It’s up to Wilson to make sure this continues in the fall and winter.