The New York Jets headed into the 2026 season are a prime candidate to be perhaps the worst team in the NFL. However, with head coach Aaron Glenn going into year 2, the onboarding of veteran QB Geno Smith, along with bringing on veteran offensive coordinator Frank Reich, perhaps the team can surprise the league. On the offensive side of the ball the Jets were amongst the league’s worst teams this past 2025 season as Justin Fields did not work out at QB, with Brady Cook, and Tyrod Taylor also underwhelming as well under center. There was an argument to be made that the Jets got the worst QB play out of any NFL team this past season. From a coaching and personnel perspective on offense, things did not get much better for New York this past season either. As rookie defensive minded head coach Aaron Glenn struggled in his first season on the job and the offense also struggled as a result of his inexperience and lack of an offensive background. The Jets also having a rookie offensive coordinator this past season who did not seem to be cut out for the job who was recently terminated also contributed to the Jets’ offensive misgivings in 2025. The personnel that the Jets had on offense this past season also was very subpar and contributed to the offensive concerns.
Heading into next season, the Jets’ formula for being a strong team will revolve around the defense carrying the load and hopefully rounding into elite form with defensive minded head coach Aaron Glenn going into year 2 on the job. The Jets’ formula for seeing success next season will be akin to the Houston Texans’ formula for seeing success during the 2025 season. An elite defense led by a defensive minded head coach with a solid respectable offense led by a QB with average physical traits who wears #7 and is 6 foot 3 inches and weighs about the same at ~220 pounds, as both Geno Smith and C.J Stroud share those same traits. Whether or not the Jets can have a defense in the same class as the Texans of last season is a big concern, but I absolutely feel as if the Jets in 2026 can have an offense in a similar class to the Texans of last season, if not better than that of Houston’s.
On the offensive front the Jets have some talent as four of their current five listed offensive line starters were first or second round picks. At left tackle, Olu Fashanu was a first round pick in the 2024 draft and has had an up and down career thus far in the NFL. Fashanu has not lived up to his high draft billing yet but has shown some potential thus far in the league. If Fashanu can build upon the high points he has shown thus far in the NFL and start to live up to his high draft billing, the Jets could have a very strong starting left tackle. But as of now Fashanu based on his production thus far in the NFL is just a borderline NFL starter.
Starting left guard Dylan Parham is consistently a strong player in the NFL and is amongst the better overall starting guards in the sport. In four seasons of taking starter snaps in the league, Parham has graded above average if not well above average on all four instances. If Parham can stay healthy, he will be a bedrock of stability on the Jets’ offensive front that needs it. Starting center Josh Myers was a 2nd round pick in the 2021 draft but has unfortunately really underwhelmed thus far in the NFL. Myers has shown some promise over the years but ultimately is a candidate to be replaced as a starter and is amongst the league’s weakest offensive line starters as of now.
Joe Tippman is the current listed starter at right guard on the Jets’ offensive line and was a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Tippmann has been strong in the NFL thus far and has lived up to his high draft billing. Tippmann played center in his first two seasons but transitioned to the guard spot for the first time last season. Tippmann graded in the above average range among players at his position at guard in 2025. That was just Tippmann’s first season at the guard spot, and he will likely improve heading into next season onwards. Tippmann as of now projects to be an above-average to a well above average starter at the right guard spot. At right tackle, 2025 first rounder Armand Membou is set to start and is coming off a strong rookie season that he will be in line to build off of. Membou graded in nearly the top third of all tackles in terms of an overall offense grade in 2025 according to Pro Football Focus despite being a rookie. Membou, given his high draft selection and very strong rookie season, is in line to become one of the elite tackles in the sport.
From a depth standpoint on the offensive front the Jets as of now only have one player of note in 2018 third rounder Chukwuma Okorafor. Okorafor consistently grades in the above average to well above average range as a pass protector but struggles as a run blocker although being solid from time to time. Okorafor is one of the better overall reserve offensive lineman in the sport and could threaten for a starting job if left tackle Olu Fashanu does not improve. Outside of Fashanu the Jets do not have anyone of note from a reserve offensive line standpoint. This is concerning as the Jets are lacking a highly capable backup on the interior of their offensive front.
Overall, the Jets actually have a decent offensive line that could be one of the better ones in the NFL next season if young players improve and if they can get a highly capable backup on the interior of their offensive line. Olu Fashanu could be a very good starting left tackle if he continues to improve, the Jets’ two starting guards are amongst the better duos in the sport, right tackle Armand Membou has star potential written all over him, while reserve offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor is amongst the better reserve offensive linemen in the sport. The only weaknesses on the Jets’ offensive line are their starting center spot, although former 2nd rounder Josh Myers has shown some potential, and the lack of capable backups, especially on the interior, outside of Chukwuma Okorafor. If those weaknesses can be overcome, then the Jets can have an above average if not a well above average offensive line next season.
From a skill position player standpoint, the Jets are in decent shape as well although they have a big hole. At the running back spot, 2022 2nd rounder Breece Hall is the team’s current #1 back and is among the better overall running backs in the league. In two of the past three seasons, Hall has graded top 10 among all qualified running backs in terms of an overall offense grade according to Pro Football Focus. Hall during the 2023 season was graded as the #1 receiving back in the NFL as well. Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis are the #2 and #3 backs behind Hall, and both are capable. Davis as a rookie in 2024 graded in the top third among all qualified backs in terms of an overall offense grade, a receiving grade, and running grade according to Pro Football Focus. Although Davis saw a drop off this past 2025 season, he was still relatively productive, and he is amongst the better supplementary backs in the sport. 2024 fourth rounder Braelon Allen is amongst the better #3 backs in the NFL and provides New York with some additional depth at running back.
At wide receiver the Jets are currently led by standout former first round pick Garrett Wilson who is among the better overall wide outs in the NFL. Wilson in all four seasons he has played has graded above average according to Pro Football Focus among all qualified wide outs. Wilson after his rookie season was on pace to become one of the premier wide outs in the NFL but has declined in production since then. But Wilson has been held back by having relatively poor QB play and very sub-par offensive circumstances to work with as well. With now the Jets having a capable solid starter in Geno Smith and an elite offensive coordinator in Frank Reich, perhaps Wilson can now come into his own and emerge as one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL.
The hole that I previously alluded to with the Jets was the lack of capable wide receivers outside of Wilson. The current #2 wide receiver on the Jets’ depth chart is 2024 2nd rounder Adonai Mitchell who has underwhelmed in the NFL thus far. Mitchell in two seasons in the NFL has graded well below average among qualified wide outs both seasons. However, Mitchell is still very young, was drafted pretty high for a reason, and could still come into his own and become a strong player. Outside of Garrett Wilson the Jets do not have even a surefire NFL caliber player at the wide out spot. Addressing the wide receiver unit should be one of the biggest if not the biggest priority in the rest of the offseason cycle for the Jets’ front office as the draft approaches.
At tight end the team has some talent but also question marks. 2025 2nd rounder Mason Taylor is the team’s #1 tight end on the depth chart as of now. Taylor did not have the best rookie season but was not awful by any stretch. Taylor, as a rookie playing in one of the worst if not the worst offensive circumstances in the NFL, did not have a fair chance of succeeding. Perhaps as Taylor goes into year 2, with the Jets’ offensive situation improving, he can come into his own and live up to his high draft billing. 2022 third round pick Jelani Woods is one of the reserve tight ends on the roster and will likely serve as the team’s #2 tight end. Woods had a strong rookie season in 2022 but due to injuries has only logged 1 total reception since then. Woods, given his high draft selection and strong rookie season, could break out and be one of the better #2 tight ends and may become the Jets’ #1 tight end if he can stay healthy. 2022 third rounder Jeremy Ruckert is also on the Jets’ tight end depth chart although he has underwhelmed in his career.
Overall, from a skill position standpoint the Jets could be very good if they can just add to their wide receiver unit and see improvement from their young tight ends. #1 back Breece Hall may not be in the discussion with the Christian McCaffrey’s, Saquon Barkley’s, and DeVon Achane’s of the world for being the best overall back in the sport, but I would certainly say he is the next closest thing. Perhaps if Hall can be placed in ideal offensive circumstances, which is the opposite of what he has had with the Jets in his career thus far, maybe he can join that elite class with those three aforementioned names. The Jets also have one of the deepest running back rooms in the sport as well with Isaiah Davis and Braelon Allen being among the better #2 and #3 backs in the NFL. At wide receiver, Garrett Wilson leads the way and like running back Breece Hall, he could potentially emerge as one of the premier wide outs in the sport in more ideal offensive circumstances, which is the opposite of what he has had with the Jets thus far. At tight end the Jets have two young talented players who were highly drafted who could come into their own in Mason Taylor and Jelani Woods.
The Jets were among the worst offensive teams in the NFL this past season but could do a 180. The Jets got amongst the league’s worst QB play in 2025, and it was combined with having a rookie defensive minded head coach, a rookie offensive coordinator, and young personnel. Now they will get a solid starting QB in my estimation in Geno Smith, their rookie defensive minded head coach will be more experienced, they will now have an elite veteran offensive coordinator in Frank Reich, and young players in particular at tight end and on the offensive line are set to improve. Geno Smith at his peak was a borderline MVP candidate and could give the Jets strong QB play if he can move past his poor season last year and recapture prime form. There is an argument to be made that Frank Reich is one of the best offensive coordinators in the sport and is certainly one of the most decorated. From an offensive personnel standpoint, if the Jets can see improvement from young players and/or add some pieces in key spots, I would see no real holes on the Jets’ offensive roster, with the likes of Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Armand Membou, and maybe a few others potentially being elite A level players.
The Jets, if Frank Reich can be an elite caliber offensive coordinator, if Geno Smith can be a solid starter, if they can add 2-3 more capable players in positions of need, and if they can see improvement from certain young players, can certainly be among the premier offensive teams in the sport next season. Although that may sound a bit premature and farfetched as of now, given that they were one of the poorest offensive teams in 2025, it can certainly happen to me. As Geno Smith can certainly be a borderline MVP caliber top 10ish QB, where there are only 8-9 QBs I would definitively take ahead of him, if he can recapture prime form. Frank Reich can certainly be among the premier offensive coordinators in the NFL, as he is certainly among the most decorated. As he coordinated an Eagles’ offense that scored over 70 total points in the Conference Championship and Super Bowl in route to winning it all. The Jets could also have above average to well above average offensive personnel if they can add 2-3 more capable players in positions of need and see improvement from key young players as well.
