Jets' Position Battles to Watch Ahead of 2024 NFL Season
The New York Jets have a few questions to answer about their defensive starters before the 2024 NFL season begins.
The Jets have a few defensive tackles and safeties on the roster who will be vying for starting spots in training camp.
One defensive tackle spot is up for grabs next to Quinnen Williams. The players who lose out on the spot next to Williams will likely be rotated in when he is off the field.
The Jets have more of an open competition at safety, where three players are competing for two spots.
A lot of focus will be on the offense in training camp because of Aaron Rodgers, but most of the starting spots on that unit are secured. Backup positional battles will be closely watched, though, throughout the summer.
Safety
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Chuck Clark, Tony Adams and Ashtyn Davis will have an open competition for the starting safety positions.
The Jets lost Jordan Whitehead in the offseason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so they have no real star at the position going into 2024.
Clark thrived in the Baltimore Ravens defense for six seasons, but he did not play in 2023. If he can return to the 101-tackle form of 2022, the Jets will have a strong leader in the middle of the secondary.
Adams and Davis, both of whom were third-round picks in recent years, put up some decent numbers in 2023. They could be trusted if the Jets want to get younger in the secondary.
All three players could be vital to the Jets' success in 2024, but only two of them will see a significant amount of playing time.
Defensive Tackle
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The starting position next to Williams is one of the few starting spots outside of safety up for competition this summer.
The Jets signed Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu in the offseason to compete with Solomon Thomas for that position.
Thomas produced 31 sacks and five tackles with the Jets last season.
Kinlaw is another former San Francisco 49ers player who joined former Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in New York.
The 2020 first-round pick produced a career high in sacks last season and could be a surprise impact player if he stays healthy. He only played 24 games in his first three years in San Francisco.
Fotu is more of a run-stuffing defensive tackle, which may give him a disadvantage compared to Kinlaw and Thomas, who have more of a pass-rushing prowess.
One of the three players will start next to Williams and the other two will be viewed as rotational pieces to provide the Jets with some necessary depth on the interior.
Backup Running Back
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The draft selections of Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis put Israel Abanikanda's roster spot under threat.
The running backs out of Wisconsin and South Dakota State each had decorated college careers and could immediately take over the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Breece Hall.
Abanikanda only had 70 yards on 22 carries in brief work with the offense last season.
The 2023 fifth-round pick could see his spot on the 53-man roster evaporate as well if Allen and Davis both impress this summer.
Abanikanda's saving grace may be his kick returning ability, but he has competition for that role as well from wide receivers further down the depth chart.
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