As the New York Jets get ready for the 2024 season, what is the biggest weakness of the team right now?
It was a very frustrating 2023 season for the New York Jets. On their first offensive series of the season, they lost their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a season-ending Achilles injury and things were very up and down after that.
After the injury to Rodgers, a lot of other roster holes emerged for the Jets. But to their credit, general manager Joe Douglas did a nice job addressing most of them this offseason through the NFL Draft and in free agency.
However, despite the strong offseason, ESPN recently spoke about what the biggest weakness on the team currently is. Here’s what they had to say.
Roster hole: Tight end
The Jets have a pretty steady and deep roster across the board, with the big issue being the lack of a star at tight end. Tyler Conklin, who signed with New York from the Vikings in 2022, hasn’t had a positive receiving DVOA in six NFL seasons and ranked 43rd among qualifying tight ends in the past two seasons. Jeremy Ruckert, a third-round pick in 2022, could take over as the starter after becoming a bigger part of the Jets’ passing game in Weeks 10-14 last season. New York should consider bringing in quarterback Aaron Rodgers ‘ former Green Bay target Robert Tonyan, who is still a free agent.
While some people believed that the New York Jets might have gone for Brock Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft to address the tight end position, they ended up strengthening their offensive line a bit more.
As of now, the tight end spot does appear to be a weakness, but it can be fixed in-house if Jeremy Ruckert can continue to develop. As a local kid, Ruckert is well-liked by the fan base and he will have opportunities to prove himself this season. With Rodgers under center, he can elevate a young player like Ruckert.
Since the New York Jets are a team that can contend, they might be able to lure a veteran free agent to help shore up the depth chart at the position. Robert Tonyan has been signed by the Chicago Bears, but other former Rodgers teammates Marcedes Lewis and Jimmy Graham remain available in free agency.
While the New York Jets might not be perfect, they have addressed a ton of needs this offseason and should feel much better going into the season.
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