Two weeks into 2022 New York Jets training camp, several players have stood out on both sides of the ball, some more surprising than others.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore has been electrifying. Defensive linemen Carl Lawson and Quinnen Williams have been monsters. Veteran backup quarterback Joe Flacco is drawing raves. And rookies Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson have not only fit right in, they’ve stood out with their solid play.
Some of these standouts are to be expected, others not as much.
That said, let’s take a look at some of the pleasant surprises on this Jets roster so far in camp.
New York Jets Training Camp Surprises
No. 3 Jordan Whitehead
Jordan Whitehead made his presence felt on the first play of 11-on-11 contact drills in training camp and hasn’t let up since.
Whitehead noticed the defense needed to shift before the play, shouted instructions to his teammates and then moved in to fill a gap and stop a running play for a two-yard loss.
Not a bad start for the new guy.
The Jets signed Whitehead this offseason to replace Marcus Maye at safety. At 25 years old, Whitehad has been a solid pro for four years and helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Super Bowl in 2021.
More attention is paid to the two other newbies in the Jets' secondary — corners Gardner and D.J. Reed — but Whitehead’s play and leadership have been a pleasant surprise.
Coach Saleh loves him some Jordan Whitehead. pic.twitter.com/MmpcErXHyJ
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 2, 2022
No. 2: Kwon Alexander
Has a player made as big an impact on this Jets roster quicker than Kwon Alexander?
The veteran has been the talk of camp since joining his new team on the field Monday just three days after signing as a free agent. Without benefit of OTAs or minicamp, Alexander was in such good shape that he stepped right into 11-on-11 contact drills, delivered some big hits and started coaching up his defensive teammates.
Jets coach Robert Saleh certainly knew what they were getting signing Alexander, having coached the linebacker in his previous gig as defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers. But even he has admitted to being surprised that Alexander is in such incredible physical condition and impacting his new teammates so profoundly on and off the field with his infectious personality and incredible energy.
Robert Saleh shares his thoughts on the Kwon Alexander signing: pic.twitter.com/2Bsxxn6Kmj
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) July 29, 2022
Signed to provide depth and leadership, Alexander has stepped in alongside C.J. Mosley and could play a really big role in New York this season. Staying healthy will be key for Alexander because he has played more than 12 games only once in seven NFL seasons.
The positive impact he has made already on the Jets makes him one of the biggest surprises of training camp.
No. 1: Mekhi Becton
That Mekhi Becton is in such excellent shape and drawing rave reviews from coaches and teammates is likely the biggest surprise in Jets training camp, at least so far.
Mekhi Becton is one powerful man! pic.twitter.com/oEXqXq5Zye
— Dan Leberfeld (@jetswhispers) August 3, 2022
Of course, that expectations were so low for Becton heading into camp really should be the bigger surprise. He’s an athletic freak, with massive size (6-foot-7, 365 pounds), quick feet and brute strength. And he was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
But he has been injury prone his first two seasons and played only one game because of a knee injury in 2021. Rumors abounded that he was out of shape, perhaps over 400 pounds late last season and into the offseason. “Lazy” and “fat” were more often used to describe Becton than, say, “stud.”
Saleh didn’t seem thrilled with Becton’s conditioning level at minicamp, though he chose his words very carefully.
Becton, though, surprised most by arriving at training camp in terrific shape and in a very positive state of mind. He readily accepted a change to right tackle and, by all accounts, has excelled on the field during team drills and 11-on-11s.
It’s still early, but Becton seems on the way to fulfilling his goal of making his critics “eat their words” about him this season.
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