4 biggest issues remaining on Jets' 2023 roster

The Jets are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Generally, there aren’t many holes on a roster when you’re a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and this team is no exception.

Loaded might be a bit strong, but the Jets look to be in great shape this coming season. Still, there are a few questions and concerns with this team — mostly as it pertains to depth.

What are they?

Let’s break it down.

1. Protecting Aaron Rodgers

The Jets starting offensive line right now is Duane Brown, Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, Alijah Vera-Tucker and a combination of Max Mitchell/Mekhi Becton. That unit, if healthy, is above average. Add in Rodgers’ ability to make adjustments at the line and move within the pocket, and you have a group that can be quite good.

The only issue up front centers around the injury bug that always seems to take a bite out of New York. Joe Tippmann, whom the Jets selected in this year’s draft, is a legitimate option behind McGovern. There’s just not much there at the other positions, specifically offensive tackle.

Brown is 37 and showed signs of breaking down last year. Becton hasn’t been healthy for any extended period during his first three seasons. Vera-Tucker is coming off a season that ended on the injured reserve. Eric Smith and Billy Turner are the next men up at tackle (rookie Carter Warren is a developmental project). Wes Schweitzer, Chris Glaser, Trystan Colon and Brent Laing are the roster options on the interior. That’s alarming.

2. The safety situation

The Jets let Lamarcus Joyner walk in free agency. That was the right call. He was dreadful last year (57.0 ProFootballFocus grade). The problem is that Jordan Whitehead, who wasn’t much better with a 66.1 PFF grade, returns and the Jets didn’t exactly find a great replacement for Joyner.

Chuck Clark is written in as the starter right now. He had 101 tackles and four passes defended for the Ravens last year, but analytically graded out with a 66.0 mark. He’s more of a box safety than rangy, which is similar to Whitehead. The only other roster options are Ashtyn Davis and rookies Tony Adams, Trey Dean, and Marquis Waters.

The Jets drafted Jarrick Bernard-Converse in the sixth round. He played corner in college but figured to transition to safety in the NFL. It’s hard to imagine he sees the field until 2024 or 2025, though.

3. Is there enough at linebacker?

The Jets are still talking to Kwon Alexander, who played in all 17 games last year (his first full season since 2016). Re-signing him would return all three of their starting linebackers from a year ago (Quincy Williams, C.J. Mosley). The concerns here are much like the offensive line. The group is fine if they stay healthy. Things look much, much different if they do not.

Behind Mosley and Williams are a group of players with very little experience. Hamsah Nasirildeen and Jamien Sherwood are converted safeties who haven’t seen much game action. Then there’s Maalik Hall, Zaire Barnes, Chazz Surratt and Claudin Cherelus.

The Jets had the luxury the last two years of letting young players play so they could get some experience. That’s not the case in 2023. The Jets are a win-now team. They need players who can help them win now. It’s hard to imagine any from that group filling in for the starters and keeping things steady.

4. The No. 2 quarterback

The Jets organization is still on cloud nine after acquiring Rodgers. Understandably so, right? You went from quarterback purgatory to being able to call one of the five most talented to ever walk the earth your own.

It would be silly to ignore the fact Rodgers is 39, though. While he played in every game last year, he suffered a thumb injury early on that plagued him throughout. That’s not a huge sign of a body breaking down, but you’d like to have some contingency plans in place if the four-time MVP needs to miss some time. The Jets, right now, don’t.

The Jets can say whatever they want publicly. Zach Wilson’s tenure with the team ended when they made the decision to pursue a veteran. If they didn’t get Rodgers, then they were going after Derek Carr (Saints) or Jimmy Garoppolo (Raiders). The Jets expect three years out of Rodgers. Those other two would have given them five-plus. Are you really making runs at those guys while still believing Wilson is going to be your franchise quarterback? No.

And there’s a reason for that. Wilson’s on-field struggles were a Sunday torture session for Jets fans, but teammates and the coaching staff saw the same issues every day in practice. It’s hard to imagine they’re all fixed right now. If something happens to Rodgers, Wilson is the one in and tasked with saving the Jets in a win-now year. The odds of that happening seem slim.