4 takeaways from New York Jets' first depth chart of 2025

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2 days ago

We are a days away from the New York Jets' first preseason game on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers.
The Jets released their first unofficial depth chart earlier this week in advance of the game. While the key word the team used is 'unofficial," it gives you a general idea of the coach's thinking based off the first few weeks of camp. Most of the depth chart is exactly as expected, but there are a few surprises at certain positions.
Here are Jets Wire's four takeaways from the release of the Jets depth chart:
Jeremy Ruckert…..TE1?
Mason Taylor suffered a high ankle sprain in practice this week and while Aaron Glenn said it wasn't too serious, he will not play on Saturday. However, before Taylor's injury, it was a bit of a surprise when the depth chart was released and it showed Ruckert and not Taylor as TE1.
Ruckert has had a good camp overall and while he's made some mistakes, his blocking in the run game has improved and he's made some plays during 11v11 drills. If Taylor is healthy before the season starts, he's expected to be the starting tight end. But, Ruckert should receive plenty of reps in Saturday's preseason opener and could give Glenn plenty to think about with a strong game.
Defensive End Depth is a Major Concern
Jermaine Johnson will start out on the PUP list but is expected to be ready for the regular season. Will McDonald has had an outstanding camp so far, not only showing his speed, but adding power on the rush that hasn't been seen yet from the third year defensive end. But, after JJ and McDonald, the cupboard is bare at a very important position.
Micheal Clemons, for now, is listed as the starting defensive end opposite McDonald. But, this is more of formality as once Johnson is activated off the PUP list, he'll be the starter. Clemons has been mostly disappointing in his Jets career, but has looked good in camp, earning high praise from both Glenn and Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks. After Clemons, the depth gets very worrisome with mostly unproven or disappointing players.
Rashad Weaver is listed as the primary backup behind McDonald, but has only one season of more than five sacks on his resume and that was three years ago. Behind Clemons on the depth chart are Eric Watts and Braiden Macgregor, who were signed as UDFA's last year, but made little to no impact. Rookie Tyler Baron is listed behind Weaver, but is not expected to see too much playing time in his first season. It's possible they can still add a free agent before the end of the preseason with former Lions defensive end Z'Darius Smith still available.
Malachi Corley over Arian Smith…..for now.
Perhaps a bigger surprise on the depth chart than Ruckert as TE1 is that Malachi Corley is ahead of rookie Arian Smith at Wide Receiver. If you've been watching any of the practices, it's been clear that Smith has outperformed Corley on every level. Smith's blazing speed has been on full display and his issues with drops so far have been greatly exaggerated. He's worked with the first team as well as the second team offense and should see plenty of action on Saturday.
The same can't be said about Corley, who's struggled a bit during drills and only been working with the third string offense. He also hasn't been used at all during Special Teams drills. Not exactly encouraging signs for the second year receiver known as the "YAC King" in college. The Jets receivers are a bit banged up with Josh Reynolds and Xavier Gipson suffering injuries during last week's Green and White scrimmage. Corley needs to start showing something and Saturday night would be a good place to start.
Tippmann vs. Myers
Arguably, the biggest competition at training camp is at center between Joe Tippmann and Josh Myers. It was a bit of a shock when GM Darren Mougey told reporters earlier in the offseason there would be a competition, even though Tippmann was very good last year on the offensive line. According to Myers, Glenn told him he would be able to compete for the starting job which was a big reason he signed with the Jets. Tippmann had some issues during last season's camp with snapping the ball to Aaron Rodgers, but was one of the best centers in the league against the run, finishing with a PFF grade of 77.3, ranking him eighth out of 64 centers.
Tippmann is more versatile than Myers and has been lining up at guard due to an injury to John Simpson. The Jets depth on the offensive line is much stronger compared to last season with the addition of not only Myers, but Chukwuma Okorafor as the swing tackle. This doesn't feel like much of a competition and barring a complete meltdown from Tippmann, it's his job to lose.
Austin McNamara vs....no one?
If we're commenting on the punting situation with the roster, there isn't much left to complain about regarding the depth chart. The Jets elected to release fan favorite Thomas Morstead during the offseason in favor of a youth movement. It started out as McNamara, who was barely on the Bengals practice squad for a cup of coffee before being released. He was signed by the Jets in March and was going to compete against rookie Kai Kroeger, who was signed as a UDFA out of South Carolina.
Kroeger was waived last week to make room for cornerback Ryan Cooper, who was claimed off waivers from the Dolphins. The coaching staff must have a lot of confidence in McNamara's ability if they've already cut his competition and barring a last minute addition, he'll handle all punting duties for Saturday's game against the Packers. If he has a rough game, expect some competition on Monday morning in Florham Park.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Takeaways from the Jets' first depth chart of 2025