Ranking New York Jets' Top 5 Sleepers to Watch in Camp

This year's New York Jets are all about a new look, a new attitude and a new direction under new leadership.

The winds of change have already swept through the front office with the departures of head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik and the arrival of their respective replacements, Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan. Those winds have also carried new talent into the fold, with Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Brandon Marshall, Leonard Williams, Devin Smith and so many other additions.

Ultimately, though, the big names won't be the only ones making an impact on the Jets this year. Some of the biggest contributors could end up being the players you least expect—the "sleepers." No, we're not talking about couches that fold out into beds, although the concept may be similar. We're talking about players who appear discreet on the roster but who pop out and turn into something so much more.

Who are those players on the 2015 Jets roster? We'll find out in training camp, but here's a look at some of the lesser-known players who could become household names by the end of the summer.

5. Daryl Richardson

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The Jets are giving a former St. Louis Rams running back a second chance to make a first impression. But we're not talking about Zac Stacy, acquired from the Rams via trade during the draft. Daryl Richardson, a fourth-year veteran, has been with the team for a year already and offers more versatility than most of the Jets' other backs.

If nothing else, he offers an explosive dynamic that most of the others lack. He recorded 475 yards on 98 carries (4.8 yards per carry) in his rookie season in 2012, but he earned only 215 yards on 69 carries (3.1 yards per carry) in 2013 and did not record any statistics in 2014.

As he has fallen off further and further each year, the spotlight has grown dimmer and dimmer, and his window to make an impact has shrunk smaller and smaller. He made an impact in the 2014 preseason, though, and finished second on the team with 95 rushing yards and first among running backs with 58 receiving yards. 

He'll have to beat out someone, whether it's Bilal Powell, Zac Stacy or Stevan Ridley, but if he can carve out a role on special teams, he's worth keeping an eye on as a surprise candidate for a roster spot. 

4. Saalim Hakim

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Saalim Hakim is not a bona fide sleeper in the classic sense. Jets fans know all about Hakim from his time as a gunner in 2014. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished in a three-way tie for third-most special teams tackles on the team with seven.

So why does he make this list? It seems that there's at least a chance he could get lost in the shuffle this summer with so many new faces at wide receiver. Hakim and T.J. Graham shared the duties as gunners on special teams, but Graham has experience at wide receiver in Chan Gailey's offense from their time together with the Buffalo Bills.

Likewise, with Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall, Devin Smith, Jeremy Kerley and DeVier Posey on the roster, the Jets already have five talented wide receivers occupying roster spots. Graham and Hakim are likely to compete for the sixth, which will mostly be spent on special teams. 

If Hakim can show some value on offense in addition to his primary role as a special teams ace, he could be the one who gets the nod. 

3. Deion Barnes

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Some players have a better chance at standing out than others based on position alone. Deion Barnes falls into that category due to the Jets' utter lack of depth at the outside linebacker position. 

Barnes has the perfect frame to play outside linebacker in the Jets' 3-4 defense at 6'4" and 260 pounds. He's not as explosive as some teams might like in their edge pass-rushers, as he posted a 4.95-second 40-yard dash and a 34-inch vertical jump at Penn State's pro day, but NFL.com's Lance Zierlein sees enough athleticism in Barnes to translate to the 3-4 outside linebacker spot. 

He also put up 31 reps on the 225-pound bench press, which is a good indication that he can hold his own at the point of attack against NFL-sized offensive tackles. 

The top spots at outside linebacker are pretty much sown up by Lorenzo Mauldin and Quinton Coples. Others like Calvin Pace, Jason Babin and Julian Howsare will be competing for spots with Barnes, but given the number of spots that are likely to be held by outside linebackers (three or four), Barnes has as good a shot as anyone of making the final cut. 

2. Taiwan Jones

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David Harris and Demario Davis are carved in stone as the starting inside linebackers. Everything else is up in the air; if and when Harris or Davis has to come off the field, the Jets will be searching for answers.

That's where former Michigan State linebacker Taiwan Jones could come into play. The 6'3", 252-pound thumper may not be a track star, but he can serve a purpose in a defense. He's not going to chase down many tight ends in coverage with a 4.95-second 40-yard dash, but a lack of speed did not lead to a lack of production in college, as he still notched 127 tackles in the past two seasons with 19.5 tackles for loss.

Jones' presence is good news for someone like Davis, whose speed and athleticism are best suited to roles in coverage, and Jones' toughness could help him not only make plays in the running game, but also crash the line of scrimmage when asked to rush the passer. 

Jones would not be the first undrafted free agent to make the Jets roster, but as a key understudy at a thin position, he could be one of the more important undrafted free agents on the 2015 squad.

1. Antonio Allen

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By now, most Jets fans know full well who Antonio Allen is. But for years, what no one could figure out is exactly what role the Jets envisioned him to fill.

He started off his career like most rookie seventh-round draft choices, earning his paychecks by performing special teams duties. He stepped into a bigger role in his second season, starting nine games and playing a large majority of the snaps in the first seven games of the season (330 out of 509 snaps for 64.8 percent, according to Pro Football Focus).

His career trajectory was knocked off course when the Jets picked up Ed Reed off the streets in the middle of the 2013 season. From that point on, Allen played a menial role (220 out of 621 snaps for 35.4 percent). It appeared he would get a shot to lock down a starting spot at safety the next season, but he was instead moved to cornerback to help address a shortage at the position.

The position switch failed, but now, Allen has a chance to set himself apart in a competition among four safeties for backup spots. Durell Eskridge, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Rontez Miles are all vying for the same duties as Allen, but thanks to his experience in New York, Allen could have the upper hand.