For the New York Jets in 2021, a successful season record-wise would be way ahead of schedule. With new head coach Robert Saleh in along with newly drafted rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, it's a fresh, exciting start. Throw in a roster littered with talent at some positions and completely devoid of it at others, a promising season would simply be one wherein Wilson plays well and shows off some of his elite talent, and the rest of their young core progresses with him while staying healthy. That's really all there is to it.
After finishing 2-14 in 2020, good for second-worst across the NFL, it made sense for the Jets to overhaul their team. Adam Gase, just fired after 2020, has been well-documented as being a poor head coach, both in terms of maintaining player chemistry as well as being able to create winning schemes and gameplans. Sam Darnold, while not quite as obvious of a piece to blame, certainly did not perform well either, as he finished the season with less touchdowns than interceptions thrown.
New York has a very solid foundation of players for their rebuild, as Wilson is added to a group that now includes exciting young players like receivers Corey Davis and Jamison Crowder, dynamic rookie back Michael Carter, and studs on defense like Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankins, Marcus Maye, and Lamarcus Joyner. So, out of this pool of talent, who is most important to the Jets having a successful season, which we defined earlier?
Given Zach Wilson's pedigree and raving reviews he's received on his talent thus far, the most important contributor to his success this year figures to be a player who can be a complimentary piece for Wilson – a running mate, of sorts – in order to balance the offense. I believe that player will be Michael Carter.
Carter fits the perfect archetype of a reliable back. He's a bit undersized, but does everything a coach could want in a youngster – he's capable and fearless in pass protection, did not fumble the ball a single time during his last two college seasons, has great vision, and runs crisp, clean routes with good hands to boot. He'll never be a player who breaks off explosive plays with breakaway speed, and he's not quite the forceful runner to be a yards-after-contact machine, but he is adequate in both departments.
Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker are two stalwarts for the Jets on the left side of their O-line, which should be perfect for their offensive scheme, which relies heavily on the outside zone running game. That's Carter's bread-and-butter, and he's got one of the wider route trees you'll see from a rookie back.
Put simply, Carter fits the mold of a fifth-round running back in terms of his raw, physical talent, but has the skill set of a much higher round pick. His lack of size is what allowed him to drop to a Day 3 pick. If his game is able to translate into NFL game speed, he could very easily be looked back upon as an absolute steal for New York, and a partner in crime for Wilson for years to come.
2021 won't see a particularly dangerous Jets team, but, if Michael Carter shows promise, he and Zach Wilson should be a promising young duo for a while.
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