The New York Jets‘ offensive line seems to be etched in stone heading into the summer, which is not a great sign considering the weaknesses at several key spots.
The projected starting New York Jets unit will likely feature:
- Kelvin Beachum (LT)
- Kelechi Osemele (LG)
- Jonotthan Harrison (C)
- Brian Winters (RG)
- Brandon Shell (RT)
Aside from the starters, they will have Chuma Edoga, Tom Compton, and Jon Toth as reserve options in case of injury or poor play.
I must say, the lack of young talent concerns me here, as injuries have been a nagging reality for the Jets and their offensive line. The poor play has simply been hard to avoid, but several quality veterans are hoping to change that narrative.
The veterans are key for the Jets:
Kelvin Beachum, who graded out as the No. 48 tackles in 2018, according to PFF, will man the left tackle spot. He’s been mainly healthy throughout his entire career missing just one game in the last three seasons. Kelechi Osemele, on the other hand, missed five games last year with the Oakland Raiders.
He’s a former Pro Bowler in 2017 and has plenty of talent to offers the Jets at left guard. He was a quality pickup this offseason and should help bolster the line in an attempt to provide Sam Darnold with more time in the pocket.
Jonotthan Harrison, a three-year Jet, started in just eight games last year and played in just eight in 2017. He’s a wild card on the line and could end up being a huge bust. There’s not much talent behind him, which is concerning.
One of the better linemen on the Jets, Brian Winters, will feature at right guard. He ranked as the No. 38 guard in the league last year, so the middle of the pack. He will need to be a rock for Darnold in 2019. His injury history isn’t too concerning – he missed three games apiece in 2016-17.
Brandon Shell at right tackle, however, might be the biggest question mark of all on the line. He tore his ACL in week 15 of the 2018 season against the Buffalo Bills when a teammate rolled up on him. He’s expected to return 100% healthy, but there are no guarantees with linemen.
Shell is the assumed starter here, and that’s not a good thing at this point in time. Bringing in a proven veteran like Mike Remmers or Jeremy Parnell could prove to be a solid move.
Overall, I give the Jets projected offensive line a grade of (C). They didn’t do much to improve the unit in the offseason aside from signing Osemele and drafting Edoga. However, it’s difficult to address units with a ton of capital when there are other holes on the team. The Jets signed star running back LeVeon Bell and linebacker CJ Mosely.
Hopefully, Bell can compensate for some of the talent restraints on the offensive front.