Despite being a team that won four games last season, the New York Jets appear set with their 11 starters on each side of the ball ahead of the 2022 NFL season. Their training camp competition primarily is for backup roles and improving the depth on this Jets roster.
There was legitimate competition for kicker throughout camp, but that battle has been won by veteran Greg Zuerlein after incumbent Eddy Pineiro was among five cuts Tuesday.
Coach Robert Saleh has claimed all along that Bryce Hall and first-round pick Sauce Gardner are fighting for the right to start at corner, opposite D.J. Reed, but it’s hard to believe Gardner won’t be out there Week 1. And that has been the belief all along, long before Hall’s nightmare performance against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.
That said, there still could be two backups who win starting jobs before all is said and done.
Jets backups who can steal a first-string job in 2022
Tyler Conklin – TE
OK, this might be a bit of a stretch. Conklin and C.J. Uzomah are veteran tight ends who signed with the Jets this offseason almost in a tandem role. But it’s Uzomah who’s the bigger name, received the bigger contract and seemed to be the default starter.
Conklin, though, has outplayed Uzomah throughout camp and has quickly become a favorite target for each Jets quarterback, most notably injured starter Zach Wilson. The fifth-year pro is entering his prime after he had an NFL career-high 61 receptions and three touchdowns with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. He has looked the part of a starting tight end from OTAs right on through minicamp and training camp.
It doesn’t matter who is throwing him the ball, Joe Flacco (@JoeFlacco), your mama, my mama, #Jets TE Tyler Conklin (@T_Conk1) scores touchdowns baby: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight #JetsCamp pic.twitter.com/e0Ce6WeP1v
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) August 16, 2022
Yet, who technically starts is a relatively minor thing because Conklin and Uzomah are each going to play a lot, especially because the Jets are expected to use two tight end sets often during the season.
It might be a case of which player is 1A and which is 1B since each will be expected to play a big role in this Jets offense. But right now, Conklin has earned the right to be the 1a tight end.
Jason Pinnock – S
The Jets seem locked in to starting veterans Jordan Whitehead and Lamarcus Joyner at safety this season. Whitehead has already become a leader on the defense and Joyner is a nine-year NFL veteran.
But Joyner has had trouble staying on the field since signing with the Jets before last season. He tore his triceps in Week 1 and was out the rest of the season; and then he missed large chunks of camp this summer because of injury and illness.
That has allowed others to get reps and long looks from the coaching staff in Joyner’s absence. And no safety has impressed more than Pinnock, a fifth-round pick in 2021.
"Jason Pinnock is a freak of nature in terms of length, speed, & athleticism. Love his physicality. His communication is getting louder so that tells you he's becoming more confident. For him it's just a matter of getting as many reps as possible."- Robert Saleh#Jets pic.twitter.com/1su7SQmHug
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) August 15, 2022
The converted cornerback has taken exceptionally well to the position change. He flashed in two starts late last season and has been one of the stars of this training camp. Saleh has raved about him.
Joyner did play in the preseason win against the Falcons and appears ready to start in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. But Pinnock is knocking on the door and prepared to move up the depth chart. Whether that happens this season or next, it seems just a matter of time before Pinnock is a starter for the Jets.
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