The New York Jets completely overhauled their offense this off-season, making 2019 signing Jamison Crowder their longest-tenured wide receiver. Playing in all 16 games last season with Gang Green, he posted 833 yards, six touchdowns, and a 63.9% catch rate. He led the team and overall yards and was tied with Robby Anderson in touchdowns.
It is quite problematic that Crowder remains the Jets’ longest-tenured pass catcher, but he is crucial to an offense that lacks veteran leadership in the locker room. Featuring at the slot position, Crowder is a fantastic security blanket for Sam Darnold in the passing game, and the instability in the wide receiver corps for the Jets makes him even more valuable.
The team has failed to draft quality players at the position in recent years, missing on players like Ardarius Stewart, Chad Hansen, Charone Peake, and Devin Smith.
However, general manager Joe Douglas invested a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft on Baylor receiver, Denzel Mims. Mims is a big body who can go up and snag contested balls, and he’s also a great contributor in the blocking game. While he did struggling to hold onto balls in 2018, he alleviated most of those concerns last season, entering the NFL as a fantastic option to take over the number one pass-catching spot for Darnold.
If the Jets really want Darnold to succeed, they must provide him with the resources necessary. They already have running back Le’Veon Bell and Mims as a fantastic option for him in the passing game.
Nonetheless, I do believe that Crowder will remain his top pass catcher and act as a sense of stability in both the locker room and on the field.
Ultimately, it boils down to health for Crowder, who missed seven games in 2018 due to injury. Last season was the second-best overall in his career, only seeing better numbers in 2016 when he posted 847 yards and seven touchdowns. I expect him to improve on his production last year with a better offensive line and more time for Darnold to survey the field in the pocket.