Predicting New York Jets' Training Camp Standouts

We are just days away from the opening of training camp, and the New York Jets are just days away from beginning what they hope will be their journey to a second Super Bowl victory.

It would be an unprecedented feat under new head coach Todd Bowles, especially considering their shaky quarterback situation. But before the Jets start having Lombardi Trophy-shaped thought bubbles forming over their heads, they must make it through the hot, grueling competition of training camp in the summer.

Every year, a several players stand out and make a name for themselves amid a sea of competition and battles for roster spots and starting spots alike. This year should be no different, although those players could be harder to spot given the loaded talent pool at the top of the depth chart.

Which players have a chance of standing out among the crowd?

Devin Smith

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Rookie Devin Smith (above) has the traits of a standout wide receiver.

The Jets wisely added a lot of depth to their roster at wide receiver. With Chan Gailey as their offensive coordinator, the Jets will need all the depth they can get at that position. Rookie wide receiver Devin Smith has the skill set to stand out immediately in Gailey's offense.

He's not the biggest wide receiver on the roster, measuring in at only 6'0" and 196 pounds. It's his burst off the line of scrimmage, his long speed down the field and his savvy route-running ability that will help him make a name for himself at training camp this summer. The Ohio State product ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the combine and also posted a 39" vertical jump. 

But it's not just his physical traits that will help him carve out a role in the Jets offense—it's his ability to fill multiple roles, lining up both on the outside and in the slot to run routes. Gailey's spread offense often makes use of such receivers by sending them in motion to get them in favorable matchups. Smith definitely has the capacity to be a matchup piece in New York's offense. 

Not only that, but Smith also gets to lean on the knowledge and experience of veterans Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker in getting quickly acclimated to life in the NFL. If he can soak up even a little knowledge from the elder statesmen of the group, Smith could begin his development into a top-flight option in the Jets offense.

Lorenzo Mauldin

Associated Press

Linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin (55, right) has an opportunity to be an immediate starter in the Jets defense.

Some players have an easy shot of standing out because of a lack of legitimate competition at their respective positions. Linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin could be lumped into that category. The only player who is truly competing with Mauldin for the starting spot is veteran Calvin Pace, whose best days are behind him at this stage of his career.

It will be a long time before Mauldin has as much experience as Pace, a 34-year-old, 12-year NFL veteran. Experience has ways of manifesting itself on the field, but so too does athleticism, which Mauldin has way more of than Pace. The 6'4", 260-pound edge defender has 33" arms, which will help him keep blockers at bay. He doesn't have the burst off the line of scrimmage (4.85-second 40-yard dash), but he shows off straight-line speed on the football field.

He may not be able to get by on that straight-line speed at the NFL level. He'll have to learn to harness that athleticism into his pass-rushing skills. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein remarked that Mauldin "doesn't dip and turn corner as tightly as you would like for a 3-4 edge-rusher," but he added Mauldin could develop that skill over time.

Competing with the Jets' top offensive tackles should give Mauldin an opportunity to really develop those skills. As long as Mauldin rises to the challenge, he should stand out among a thin group of outside linebackers.

Bilal Powell

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Bilal Powell (29, left) is the only back in the Jets offense with significant experience in the passing game.

Much like Lorenzo Mauldin, running back Bilal Powell has a good chance of standing out this summer because of a lack of real competition at his position.

Yes, the Jets have plenty of running backs in their employ. Between Powell, Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley Zac Stacy and Daryl Richardson, the Jets will probably end up sending someone to the waiver wire. What they don't have, however, is a wealth of backs with capabilities on passing downs. 

That just happens to be where Powell made most of his impact in 2014 and where he projects to do so once again in 2015. Powell earned 187 snaps in passing situations and 55 snaps on running downs, according to Pro Football Focus. Despite his frequent appearances on passing downs, he failed to have a consistent impact as a receiving back; he caught only 11 passes despite running 132 pass routes. 

Gailey is known for getting the most out of his running backs, which is actually part of the reason why he was hired by the Jets in the first place, according to Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media. Powell should find himself on the field quite frequently for the Jets in practice this summer because of his ability on passing downs, which is exclusive on New York's roster.

Leonard Williams

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Defensive lineman Leonard Williams (left) fell to the Jets in the first round at No. 6 overall. Now, will he fall into the starting lineup with Sheldon Richardson out for the first four weeks of the season?

Allow me to borrow from an old meme: Obvious training camp standout is obvious. 

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams has enough potential as an NFL player that many scouts were labeling him as one of the safest picks in the draft, and several scouting websites had him ranked as the best player in the draft. Now, it's time for the safest pick and the best player in the draft to show why he earned those labels. 

He'll have an opportunity to do so right away on the Jets' starting defensive line because of a four-game suspension for defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson. Williams may not need to wait for Richardson's punitive absence to start making a name for himself, though. 

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, Williams' monstrous size and natural ability shows up every time he takes the field. The rookie has apparently already shown an ability to "penetrate a gap with a quick first step" at organized team activities this spring.

The Jets feature one of the deepest, most dominant defensive lines in the AFC—perhaps in the entire NFL—but Williams could stand out in that group, even as a rookie.

Oday Aboushi

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Oday Aboushi has a chance to cement himself as a starting guard this summer.

The Jets have very few spots up for grabs headed into the 2015 season, which is surprising given their dreadful 4-12 record last season. That being said, one of the spots that is there for the taking is at right guard. Right now, there is a logjam of potential starters at the position. Veteran Willie Colon faces an insurgence of youth in the form of Oday Aboushi, Brian Winters and Brent Qvale, all of whom are hoping to make it into the starting lineup.

Aboushi was inserted into the starting lineup at left guard last year after Winters' season-ending knee injury. This year, Winters is facing a make-or-break season and Colon is on a one-year contract that allows him to be cut at virtually no penalty to the Jets ($65,000 guaranteed, according to Over the Cap). Of course, none of that necessarily means Aboushi will stand out, but expect him to be given every chance to do so.

In fact, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN, Aboushi began the offseason program as the starter at right guard:

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Oday Aboushi worked exclusively with the starters at right guard. Incumbent Willie Colon, still getting over some knee soreness, received what he jokingly referred to as 'an old man's rest day.' One thing about Bowles: He likes to do a lot of rotating, especially on the offensive line. It's not unusual to see two or three starters working together with two or three backups.

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Aboushi played well in his opportunities in 2014, and if he can build off what he learned last year, he could develop into the Jets' long-term starter at right guard. 

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus.