The curtain is about to come down on another Jets season, and instead of looking back to 2024, it’s time to look forward to 2025. 

Top of the offseason priority list is identifying new hires at general manager and head coach. The Jets have already started their interview process and after taking a look at some of the things I’d like to see from the new GM, it’s time to turn our focus to the head coach role. 

This week, the team confirmed that they have conducted an interview with Ron Rivera for the position and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan has made it clear that he’d like to be under consideration. 

NFL rules limit the interview process for hiring teams at this stage of the season, but personnel from teams who will receive a first round bye will be able to hold online interviews. 

During the NFL spring meetings, it was decided that interviews with coaches who are in the playoffs can last a maximum of 3 hours, and the time for the interview needs to be agreed with the coaches current employer so as not to interfere with game preparation. 

So with all that said, the Jets are at the very start of this process. 

There are no indications on whether the team will look to hire a general manager first, but we can take solace in the fact that the process is underway and it’ll be exhaustive in order to find the right candidates to take this team forward. 

Any head coach stepping into the role will have plenty to work with. It’s not often an opening appears where the offensive line is largely settled, the team has a young star receiver and running back, a star corner and three key pieces on the defensive line as well as multiple talented linebackers. 

So what kind of coach should the Jets be looking for? 

Leadership

I think sometimes we can get far too caught up with whether the man in charge is an offensive or defensive minded head coach. In reality, that really shouldn’t matter because once you’re hired as a head coach you’re hired to lead the entire roster, not just one side of the ball. The head coach needs to set the tone, create the foundation for the success and actively maintain a culture that leads to consistent winning. 

Some of the top coaches in the NFL don’t call plays on either side of the ball and personally I think that’s beneficial for a team who are looking to form an identity across the board. Play-calling on one side of the ball can draw too much of the head coach’s attention and having trusted coordinators doing the job leads to accountability. Dan Campbell doesn’t call plays in Detroit, although he’s done so in the past, and there is probably no hotter coach in football right now than Dan Campbell.

Is prior experience necessary? 

When you make certain decisions and they don’t work out, it’s natural to want to do a 180 for the next hire. If your previous head coach was a defensive guy, then some will be adamant the next head coach needs to be an offensive guy. If the last guy was a first-time head coach, then some will be adamant that the next man up needs to have experience. I think that’s a dangerous way to look at things and can lead you into making bad choices based on rigid guidelines. 

Dan Campbell had only ever been in interim charge for a short period before Detroit, Kevin O’Connell was a first-time head coach in Minnesota, plus Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay, Sean McDermott and even someone like Mike Tomlin were all first-time head coaches in their respective positions. If there is an Andy Reid out there then you go and get him but handing over the keys based solely on experience is a mistake. 

For me, having experience within the NFL is important and most head coaches come from the coordinator position, but having previous head coaching experience is not the silver bullet that some people make it out to be. 

Clear Vision & Communication

When Kevin O’Connell took over as the Minnesota Vikings head coach he had a clear vision, and I remember reading an article about how he would clearly communicate difficult concepts that made them easy to absorb and utilise. He calls it “dot-connecting”: tying things together with certain words all relating to the same theme. For the Vikings that can be sports cars, big cats etc. Having that clear vision of what you want your team to stand for and how you want them to operate is vital. 

Sticking with O’Connell because as a former Jet I’ve enjoyed following his career; he’s always been open to two-way communication. If players want to change the way they attack it then he’ll do that, as he explained in an article on The Athletic: 

“I’m not the one out there running the play,” O’Connell said. “If it doesn’t infringe upon the play-caller’s intent or the design of the play, ‘It’s yours, guys.’ I think that there is power in that, in this day and age … when they feel like they are a voice at the table, not just someone being talked to.”

It may seem overly simplistic to say the new coach needs a clear vision and communication, but I think many hires have failed when the individual either doesn’t have that set vision and instead has a lot of borrowed concepts, or the system is too convoluted to operate at a high level. 

Final Thoughts

Hiring a head coach is a difficult job. Not every coach will have the same impact in every single environment and there are no hard and fast rules for how to get this right. But if you can find someone who has an aura of leadership while having elite communication with a clear vision then you’re on the right track. 

Let the exhaustive search commence.

The 2024 season is winding down to a conclusion and it’s fair to say that it didn’t go to plan for the Jets. A season that started with Championship aspirations is ending in disappointment.

While that’s hard to take for us fans, this offseason represents a period of hope. The Jets will be looking for a new GM to lead the ship, and that in itself is an exciting proposition.

The search for a new GM promises to be comprehensive, with the Jets hiring The 33rd Team, led by former GM Mike Tannebaum and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman to help with the search. 

Although this will be the first time that the 33rd Team as an organisation has assisted an NFL team with a GM search, Spielman was part of the six-man panel last year that helped the Washington Commanders hire Adam Peters, so not only will he bring knowledge from his own time as GM, but he also has first-hand experience helping a team pick a new GM. 

The team has started to release information on preliminary interviews with candidates this week, including Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson and Jim Nagy. This marks the start of an exhaustive manhunt to find the right person who possesses the perfect skills and attributes. 

But what should the Jets be looking for in a new GM? 

Here’s what I’d like to see from the new man in charge:

Strong college scouting background

Good franchises who are consistent winners tend to be the ones that scout well. The foundation of any team is built through the draft. It’s something the Jets have done well over the last few years with Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Will McDonald and Olu Fashanu among others appearing to be the keystones to build around. It’s hard to be a consistent winner by relying on free agency to build out your team; missing on draft picks can set franchises back years, as we have seen up and down the NFL. 

So when I look at a potential candidate’s background I like to focus on their scouting experience. Have they played the game? Have they worked as a road scout or an area scout, putting in the long hours and the high miles? Have they been recognised within their organisation and promoted to hold more authority in the scouting game. A lot of general manager candidates would have started as scouting assistants, working their way up. 

You’re not going to hit on every single draft pick, but having a strong scouting background will set you up for success moving forward. 

Mentorship within the industry

The NFL is full of highly respected executives. Most of them are tied down to their current teams and going nowhere, they’re respected because they’re successful and if you’re successful in this league you tend to stay where you are. That’s frustrating for teams looking for the best but it also offers an opportunity. With the top job blocked, their assistants tend to have to look elsewhere to take the next step in their career. 

You look at someone like Ian Cunningham in Chicago. Outside of his own individual characteristics, his executive history makes him an appealing candidate for any open job. Not only has he worked for the great Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, but he’s also worked for Howie Roseman in Philadelphia as well. 

You don’t work under two of the best in the business for as long as he did without picking up a few things here and there. He’s certainly not the only candidate to have worked in successful franchises under widely respected executives. 

The Franchise Turnaround

Not every GM job is the same. We can’t avoid the fact that the Jets have the longest playoff drought in North American Sports. So part of the remit for the new man in charge is being able to identify how to turn a franchise around. 

Most GMs walk into situations that require a little work; there’s usually a job opening for a reason. But in some situations, the GM needs to change the narrative, the perception and guide the franchise into a full turnaround. 

Look at the job that Jon Robinson did in Tennessee. Inheriting a team that had not been to the playoffs in 7 years and was coming off a 3-13 season, he helped guide them to the playoffs in 4 of his 6 full seasons in charge.

Ray Agnew in Detroit has been front and centre of the Lions renaissance. Before their playoff win against the Rams in 2023, you had to go back to 1991 to find the last one. The Lions went all the way to the NFC Championship game last season and they’ll be heading back to the playoffs this year. 

Securing a candidate from a franchise that has been a perennial winner has advantages, but for a team like the Jets, securing a candidate from a franchise that has experienced a turnaround may be more beneficial in the long run. 

As the Jets commence their search for their next general manager, we’ll be taking the chance over these next few weeks to assess what the future at One Jets Drive could look like under new stewardship. Before we look ahead though, it’s always helpful to take a look back too, at some of the moves that have defined the strengths of the current roster.

At times like this it’s easy to just remember the bad times and the current struggles. Over Joe Douglas’s tenure as GM however, the Jets made some key additions both through the draft and free agency that has set them up with exciting talent for years to come.

Let’s take a look at three of the best roster-building moves in the past five years. 

The 2022 Draft Class

If there is going to be a lasting legacy of positivity from the six years of Joe Douglas’ tenure, it’s going to be the 2022 draft class.

Armed with two first round picks, the Jets selected cornerback Sauce Gardner 4th overall, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson 10th overall. 

Gardner ended up winning the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award while being named First-team All-Pro in both 2022 and 2023. Garrett Wilson was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for 2022 and has gone on to break numerous Jets records. He’s also well on his way to the third consecutive season of 1000+ receiving yards to start his career. 

Had that been it, it would have been a successful draft class. But there’s so much more. 

The Jets aggressively moved back into the first round to take Jermaine Johnson, who was named to his first Pro-Bowl in 2023 and has become an explosive and reliable 3-down defensive end. 

They then moved up again to be in position to draft Breece Hall, who already has over 2000 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns despite missing significant time through a serious injury. 

He then found contributions throughout the draft from Jeremy Ruckert to Max Mitchell, Micheal Clemons and Tony Adams as a UDFA who turned into a starting safety. 

You can’t underestimate how rare it is to find so many stars and contributors in one class. 

Although not 2022 draft related, you also have to consider some of the other draft wins throughout his tenure, which includes late-round steals in Jamien Sherwood and Michael Carter II and UDFA signings like Bryce Huff who turned into one of the best pass rushers in football. 

Quincy Williams 

Quincy Williams has quickly become one of the best linebackers in football, with his electric speed and ferocious hitting, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Jets had spent considerable draft capital on acquiring Quinnen’s brother. 

In fact, it was a smart waiver wire pickup. The Jacksonville Jaguars waived Williams after two injury riddled seasons in Florida, despite spending a third round pick on him in 2019. The lack of patience shown by Jacksonville allowed the Jets to step in. 

Williams was named a First Team All-Pro last season, having racked up 139 tackles including 15 for a loss. Following that breakout performance the Jets signed Williams to what was considered a very good deal for the team, turning the once-disregarded linebacker into a cornerstone of the defense for the years to come. 

Picking up production from the waiver wire became a staple of Joe Douglas’s time here, just think of John Franklin-Myers for another example. 

Signing D.J. Reed

So we’ve seen key acquisitions through the draft and we’ve seen some smart additions via the waiver wire, so here is an example of a free agency signing. Those didn’t always go to plan, but it certainly paid off here.

D.J. Reed has been one of the best Jets free agency signings in recent memory. A 5th round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, Reed found himself looking for a new team just two years later and wound up sticking to the west coast with Seattle. 

Following a successful spell with the Seahawks, Douglas signed Reed to a 3-year deal in 2022 and since then he’s become one of the premier cornerbacks in football. 

Over three years with the Jets, Reed has broken up 23 passes while allowing less than 60% of passes to be completed into his coverage. 

His partnership with Sauce Gardner has made the Jets one of the hardest teams to throw on over the last three years, despite their recent struggles.

Labelling the 2024 season as a huge disappointment for the Jets is unavoidable. A season that started with such hope and expectation will end without a spot in the playoffs for the 14th year in a row. Accepting and understanding the shortfall is the first step to change. 

But even in a season that has disappointed, there are plenty of positives to touch on. 

Garrett Wilson is well on his way to another 1,000-yard receiving season and Will McDonald has broken out in a big way with double-digit sacks. D. J. Reed has continued to be one of the best corners in football and Sauce Gardner is coming off a game where he held dominant receiver D.K. Metcalf to just one catch on four targets. 

John Simpson is one of the highest graded guards in football, Joe Tippmann has graded as a top-10 centre and has flourished as both a leader and player, whilst fourth-year linebacker Jamien Sherwood has already hit 100 tackles in a season for the first time. 

Sitting at 3-9, it’s easy to consider the 2024 season a complete failure; the ultimate goal was a championship and the team will fall well short of that. But the cupboard is by no means empty and if you choose to, you can find plenty of reasons to be optimistic going into 2025 and beyond.

One reason to be optimistic is the play of Olu Fashanu, the Jets first round pick who has been asked to step in for the injured Tyron Smith who was placed on injured reserve. Smith is playing on a one year deal and will have his future decided in the offseason, but the Jets may have found the franchise tackle that they’ve been looking for ever since D’Brickashaw Ferguson hung his cleats up after the 2015 season. 

It’s still early days for Fashanu who has played just 351 offensive snaps so far, but the early signs are promising, especially when you consider what he has been asked to do. Not only has he stepped in for Smith to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside, but he also stepped in for Morgan Moses at right tackle earlier this season and even filled in for Alijah Vera-Tucker at RG against the Texans, a position he’d never played in his life.

Through all of that, he’s allowed just 1 sack and 16 pressures and he’s coming off his best game of the season where he put on a pass-blocking clinic. 45 dropbacks for the Jets, 0 sacks and 0 pressures allowed by Fashanu who showcased both his speed and power in keeping the QB clean. 

Leonard Williams, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall all tried their luck against the powerful rookie from Penn State and all failed. All three of those players have 5 or more sacks on the season, but none of them were able to get close to Aaron Rodgers rushing from the right side. 

There were 45 pass blocking snaps to choose from, but I’ve picked out just three. If you watch the game back you won’t hear #74 called very often because he simply shut down anything and everything that came his way.

This first one showcases his speed and slide to get out to Leonard Williams (#99) and close off his angle to the QB straight away. Even though he gets pushed back he still has the power in his hands to direct Williams up the field rather than towards the pocket.

This one is against Derick Hall (#58) who just gets engulfed by Fashanu’s frame and is moved laterally with apparent ease. Fashanu’s vice-like grip means that if he gets his hands on you, it’s very difficult to disengage. Here, Hall is locked up.

This final one may be the one I like the most. This one shows situational awareness and blocking intelligence. The Seahawks try a stunt but after forcing the edge rusher inside to Simpson and Tippman, Fashanu quickly recognises the rusher coming around and with a well timed chip by Hall, picks him up with ease. 

If you’re looking for a reason to be positive this season, the play of Olu Fashanu should be right at the top of the list.

Even in the most disappointing of seasons, you can always find glimmers of hope. 

Sitting at 3-8 after the bye week, the New York Jets 2024 season hasn’t exactly gone to plan. This offseason, the Jets will look to rebuild under the stewardship of a new GM and HC, and part of that will be building out the roster, especially the depth. 

If you look across the NFL, you’ll notice that the top teams in the league that win consistently have a lot in common. One of those things is the ability to identify, evaluate and sign talent that other teams overlook. 

This can be done through the waiver wire, an avenue the Jets have had some success with, highlighted by the pick-ups of both John Franklin-Myers and Quincy Williams. It can also be done through the undrafted free agent process, as with the signing of Bryce Huff. 

This year, the Jets signed a number of exciting prospects who are being given the opportunity to showcase their talent, and the hope is that over the final six games they can continue to build their case for a 2025 roster spot. 

Let’s take a look at some of the undrafted rookies who have already made an impact.

Leonard Taylor III

The former University of Miami defensive tackle was considered by many to be one of the best priority signings after the draft, and although he only has 155 defensive snaps to his name through the first 12 weeks of the season, he’s already made a big impact on the defensive line. 

With 1.5 sacks, 6 pressures and 8 defensive stops that constitute an offensive failure, Taylor III has arguably been the most impressive undrafted rookie on the team. Coming out of high school, Taylor III was a 5-star prospect with the world at his feet. Analysts spoke about his speed, explosion and power from the inside. 

His college career didn’t pan out as expected, but you can certainly see why he was rated so highly and whilst his opportunities have been limited, he’s made an impact when his number has been called, continuing his strong play from the pre-season.

Braiden McGregor

One of my favourite signings of the offseason, McGregor hasn’t enjoyed the same kind of opportunities as Taylor, but he’s still showcased some real positives that lead you to believe that he’s a talent that can be developed. He doesn’t have the elite bend of a speed rusher but he gained a reputation at Michigan as a leader with a non-stop motor and the prototypical body type for an NFL edge.

In the 2024 season, McGregor has only appeared in 71 total defensive snaps, with just 35 opportunities to rush the passer. He’s yet to register his first sack but he has chalked up 3 pressures, which is a pressure for every 11.6 pass rush snaps, a number that would be highly respectable if replicated over a bigger sample size. McGregor is another UDFA who had a stellar pre-season where he registered 3 sacks and 8 pressures on just 53 pass-rush snaps. Definitely someone to keep an eye on over the back half of the season and into 2025.

Eric Watts

Watts was the final UDFA to make the team on the defensive line. Having one UDFA make the roster isn’t overly noteworthy, having two UDFAs make the roster on the same defensive line unit is unique, having three UDFAs make the roster on the same defensive line is nearly unheard of. 

Back in 2022, Watts led the UConn Huskies with 10 tackles for a loss and 7 sacks, while blocking two kicks and forcing two fumbles. The analysts at NFL.com had his draft grade in the 5th round, but when the lights went out in Detroit, Watts was left without a team. The Jets saw something in the 6′ 5, 275 lb defensive end, and while the stats have been lacking he has been given 115 snaps through the season to prove his quality. 

Some players are instant stars, while some take time to develop. Here’s what draft analyst Dane Brugler had to say about Watts: “Watts is a frenetic pass rusher and still figuring out how to properly unlock all his power, but the physical traits and competitive mentality are there for him to become a valuable part of a defensive line rotation with additional coaching. He might never put it all together, but he’s worth a Day 3 draft pick to find out.” We’ll need to wait and see if he can.

When you’re stuck in a 3-8 hole with the playoffs likely out of reach, it’s hard to appreciate the positives. 

We can’t escape the fact that the 2024 season hasn’t gone to plan, it’s been difficult and the record is not where anyone envisioned the Jets being entering the bye week. 

But there have been some positives on the season, and one of those is the play of Jets left guard John Simpson, who joined the Jets this spring on a two-year deal. 

A 4th-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, it wasn’t until he reached Baltimore that he found his stride in the NFL. 

Having joined the Ravens practice squad, he won the battle for the left guard position vacated by Ben Powers in 2023 and never looked back. 

Last season he played every game for the Ravens, blocking the way for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and the 4th-ranked scoring offense. 

In over 700 pass-blocking snaps, Simpson allowed just 1 sack and 31 pressures, and this year he has performed even better. 

Through the first 11 games of the season and over 400 pass-blocking snaps, Simpson has yet to allow a sack and has allowed just 9 pressures.

For offensive guards who have appeared in at least 500 snaps this season (of which there are 47), Simpson is ranked as the 6th best guard in football. Only three guards have allowed fewer pressures and he’s part of a group of just 11 players who have yet to allow a sack.

In terms of pass-blocking efficiency, a PFF signature stat measuring pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed, only Quinn Meinerz and All-Pro Joe Thuney better his mark of 98.9. 

Not wanting to be a one-trick pony, Simpson is also highly graded in the run game. His 82.1 grade is the 4th best among guards who have played at least 200 run-blocking snaps, of which there are 49. 

If you break that down even further, you can see his consistency across both gap and zone run concepts. He’s a top-15 guard in zone and a top-2 guard in gap, making him an extremely valuable commodity and an extension candidate as he enters 2025 on the last year of his deal.

The former Clemson man has perhaps exceeded expectations, which is always a positive when you’re looking at free agent signings. He’s big and powerful, has strong hands, a firm base and is technically sound across the board. 

It’s rare for a guard who possesses his traits to hit free agency and you tip your hat to the Jets Pro Personnel division for identifying him. 

Simpson only turned 27 earlier this season, so it’s reasonable to expect that his best years are still ahead of him, which is an exciting prospect for the Jets. 

Not only would that mean the left guard position is solidified for years to come, but it would also give the offensive line time to grow together. 

Olu Fashanu (21) is expected to be the long-term answer at left tackle having been taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft. Fashanu, who is starting in place of the injured Tyron Smith, impressed Jeff Ulbrich, who had this to say: “He’s exactly what we thought we were going to get. He’s intelligent, he’s athletic, he’s big, and he’s powerful.”

On the other side of Simpson is Joe Tippmann (23) who’s ranked inside the top-10 himself when it comes to run-blocking and has continued to improve his pass-blocking technique. With those three settled on the line, it gives the Jets an opportunity to build and sustain a cohesive unit for a long time to come. Add in Alijah Vera-Tucker (25) at RG and the Jets have something cooking up front.

The New York Jets have announced their first ever official watch party in Ireland, taking place on 8th December at Buskers On The Ball, Dublin for their matchup with the Miami Dolphins!

The Jets acquired international marketing rights to Ireland alongside the United Kingdom earlier in 2024, and next month’s event will mark their first official fan activation in the country.

Fans can purchase tickets online now, with the €8 price inclusive of a drink and a giveaway item:

PURCHASE HERE

The Jets have previously hosted watch party events in London, Manchester, Leicester and Leeds, with plans to host events in other cities across the UK and Ireland in the following seasons.

Members of NY Jets FC, the Jets international membership club, will be eligible for a prize raffle on the night of the event in Dublin – make sure to sign up for free now on our home page if you are not yet a member.

Pre-game entertainment will begin from 4:30pm GMT, with the game starting at 6pm and the venue staying open til late. Buskers on the Ball will have a dedicated area with plenty of screens, plus a number of games and activities.

The event is strictly 18+, and with capacity limited, we recommend booking your spot now!

It’s hard not to be downhearted at the moment, the Jets are in a bad spot and to many it seems unsurmountable. A season that started with Championship aspirations has quickly turned into a house of horrors. But it’s important to remember that the Jets have yet to be eliminated from postseason contention, and while it feels impossible… it is mathematically in play. Hope. 

If we’re being realistic, the Jets will need to reel off 7 straight wins. The Jets have only ever won 7 or more regular season games in a row once in their history, in 1986. 

Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to having to run the table. After starting with a 4-6 record with Green Bay in 2016, the Packers proceeded to win their remaining 6 games to squeeze into the playoffs. They then used that momentum to go to the NFC Championship game, before falling to the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome. 

Is it likely that the Jets will go on a Packers-like run? Based on what we’ve seen so far it’s hard to envision, but the NFL is predictable in its unpredictability. 

As players, you can’t focus on the mountain top, you need to focus on taking that first step. That first step will come this weekend as the Jets face off against the Indianapolis Colts, led by returning second-year QB Anthony Richardson. 

The Colts have now lost 3 games in a row to fall to 4-6 and with the AFC picking up steam, this is a game the Colts have to win to stay in touch with the 6-4 Houston Texans, who currently lead the AFC South. 

For the Jets, this really is a case of last-chance saloon. So how can they beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and regain some of the momentum that was lost in Arizona?

This weekend, the Jets will face a defense who are in the bottom half of the league, allowing 22.3 points per game. More tellingly, the Colts have one of the leakiest run defenses in football through the first 10 weeks of the season. 

Indianapolis has allowed an average of 148.3 rushing yards per game to opposing running backs; only the Panthers and the Cowboys allow more. That number jumps up to 152.4 yards per game when you look at just their performance on the road. 

The Colts have been renowned as one of the best run defenses in football over the last two years, ranking 5th and 10th in 2022 and 2023 respectively having allowed 4.1 yards per carry. They still have Grover Stewart who is one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in football. Stewart ranks 5th in ESPN’s run-stop metrics and PFF have him completing 22 tackles that constitute a defensive failure for the offense, 4th most in football. 

But the Colts have been missing a key component of their run defense all season, with Samson Ebukam going down with a torn Achilles in July. Without Ebukam setting the edge, teams have bounced more runs outside, avoiding Grover Stewart as much as possible. 

As the Colts have gotten healthier, their run defense has shown signs of improvement. They have tackled better, they’ve been more disciplined in their gap assignments and the defensive line is getting a better push. But it’s still an area the Jets need to test on Sunday. 

Entering week 11 the Jets have one of the highest pass play percentages in the league at 63.99% (4th highest). Part of that is a consequence of playing from behind, but part of that is by design. It’s the reason you get Aaron Rodgers in the building. 

But to pass the ball effectively, you have to be able to run it. The Jets have one of the best running backs in football in Breece Hall, who ranks just 15th in the NFL in terms of rushing attempts this season. 

Breece was running at 5.2 yards a clip on Sunday but due to the game situation he garnered just 10 rushing attempts. At no point this season has Breece received 20 carries in a game. Most tier one runners in the NFL have at least one 20+ rush attempt game, and most have multiple. 

If the Jets want to try to exploit the Colts run defense, they need to commit to the run and stick with it, which includes the need to mix-up their red-zone looks to involve the running game. There’s no easier offense to defend than a predictable one. 

When the Jets selected Olu Fashanu with the 11th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, it was with an eye to the future. 

One of the most promising tackles in college football, Fashanu had finished his final year at Penn State without allowing a sack in over 700 pass-blocking snaps. 

Over the course of three years (two as a starter), Fashanu had quickly become one of the premier left tackles in the Big Ten Conference. 

Not only had he not allowed a single sack, but he’d only allowed 17 pressures in total; that’s a pressure every 43 snaps. Considering Penn State averaged 32 passes a game his senior season, he allowed under one pressure per game. 

He also made strides as a senior in his run-blocking, with PFF grading him at 70.5, considerably better than the 59.4 he achieved his first year as a starter back in 2022. 

Coming out of college, Penn State head coach James Franklin called him a “high production, low maintenance” player. 

The plan for Fashanu in year one was to sit and learn. 

The Jets had traded for one of their former players and a respected veteran in Morgan Moses to play right tackle and signed All-Pro Tyron Smith to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside. 

It was the perfect environment for a young tackle to come in, learn, watch and develop. With Tyron Smith getting veteran rest days, Fashanu was also guaranteed reps with the starters in practice.

For everything that he achieved in college: his numbers, the Consensus All-American selection, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten – all achieved in 2023 – there was something he had never done. 

Play offensive guard. 

With his size, strength and length he was an offensive tackle, and he’s still going to be an offensive tackle going forward. But when the injuries started to mount up against the Houston Texans last Thursday, he needed to step up and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

“Coach [Keith] Carter just told me, ‘Hey, if the opportunity comes, you’re going to go in at guard,’” Fashanu said. “At first I was like, ‘Oh, OK. Let’s go.’ It helps that I have such a great center in [Joe Tippmann] and such a great tackle that has a ton of experience like Morgan [Moses] does. So, I always knew I was going to be in good hands playing with those guys.”

Fashanu came into the game and performed at the highest of high levels. In 37 snaps with the Jets mounting a comeback with three touchdown drives over 70 yards, Fashanu didn’t allow a sack, allowed just 2 pressures and helped the Jets run the ball to set up the pass. 

Learning a new position on the fly can’t be understated, not when it’s at the highest standard against an opponent who came in at 6-2. 

Fashanu had never taken a snap at guard in High School, in College or in the NFL. In training camp he worked at both tackle spots but not inside. 

Working inside is a lot different to working as a tackle. I always remember Chargers tackle/guard Jamaree Salyer speaking about the difference between the positions after he was asked to play tackle after being drafted as a guard. He said things happen faster on the inside and unlike tackle where you’re blocking the same guy for the majority of the game, guards have to be aware of stunts, twists, linebackers, safeties. 

He ended by stating that although you play faster at tackle, you have to think much faster at guard. That’s not easy as a rookie, it’s certainly not easy as a rookie who’s never played that position before. 

The fact that Fashanu came in and not only held his own but excelled is something that we need to celebrate, and it was something that caught the eye of his head coach, quarterback and linemate Max Mitchell:

“[Fashanu] freaking balled the hell out,” OL Max Mitchell said after the Houston game. “I couldn’t be more proud of the dude. He’s been working his tail off. He has taken zero guard reps so then to get thrown into [his] first today, I think he was a little overwhelmed with how much information we were giving him, but I mean he’s a stud. He played lights out.”

Having a little versatility to your game is never a bad thing. The hope is that John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker will be available for this weekend’s game, but if they’re not… the Jets know that they can turn to their big offensive tackle and he’ll do a job. 

“I just learned that this is the nature of the league,” Fashanu said. “It is a next man up mentality. You have always got to be dialed in and locked in, making sure that whenever your number is called that you’re ready to contribute.”