Last season, we kept tabs on the Jets’ rookies, most of whom had a minor impact. Let’s look at the outlook for each player heading into Year Two and assess whether they could play an expanded role.
Offensive Tackle Olu Fashanu
The Jets are high on Fashanu heading into his second season, which will see him starting at left tackle. With rookie Armand Membou expected to start on the right side, the Jets hope those two will become one of the best young tackle duos in the league.
Fashanu started five games in a row on the left last year before missing the final game due to a foot injury. He looked good in those games, but had struggled when called upon to fill in on the right and at guard earlier in the season. Hopefully, Fashanu’s late-season success is a sign that keeping him in his preferred position will lead to more consistent play in 2025 and beyond.
While he seems further along as a pass protector than a run blocker, the main thing Fashanu needs to do better in 2025 is to cut down on penalties. He had seven last season, including five in those five starts on the left.
Wide Receiver Malachi Corley
Corley was a player who looked set to be a key contributor last season, but he was a complete non-factor with just three catches. Having struggled to get on the field, he compounded matters on what looked like being his long-awaited breakout moment, with an inexplicable mental error that saw him drop the ball before crossing the goal line for what would have been his first career touchdown.
The fact that the Jets will have a new quarterback and offensive coaching staff gives Corley a chance at a much-needed fresh start. And the team doesn’t have much depth at wide receiver, so he has a shot at redemption if he does well in training camp. Corley needs to learn the playbook inside-out and avoid mistakes to make this a reality.
