State of the Jets 2011: Ready To Be Super, Time for Sanchez To Shine

Quarterbacks

Mark Sanchez (6'2", 225, Age 24): In his third season, the face of the franchise must be consistent. He shows flashes of being a solid NFL quarterback, but he needs to prove that's what he can bring every single game.

Mark Brunell (6'1", 215, Age 40): Not a great backup, but serves as a mentor to Sanchez. Since Brunell was a good starter in his own right during his career. Needs to stay healthy.

Kevin O'Connell (6'5", 225, Age 26): Athletic third string who was behind Clemens last year. Likely a one-year solution but knows the offense.

Greg McElroy (6'2", 220, Age 23): The rookie showed promise in the preseason, but his injury was unfortunate. He'll spend the season on injured reserve, but he'll be important for the future.

Halfbacks

Shonn Greene (5'11", 226, Age 26): Strong back who will power himself through defenders. More of a straight-line running back. This will be Greene's first season as the workhorse back.

LaDainian Tomlinson (5'10", 215, Age 32): Respected veteran who was once the best HB in the league. Valuable on third down, as he can read defenses and block and catch well. Still athletic enough and reads holes well. Excellent No. 2 back.

Joe McKnight (5'11", 205, Age 23): After a disappointing start last season, McKnight should make an impact this year. He's got a lot of quickness and speed and is an excellent option to cause mismatches on third downs or a speedier alternative to Greene. Special teams versatility.

Bilal Powell (5'10", 204, Age 22): The rookie may get some playing time. He's better at running through the inside than McKnight is. He's a bit of an in-between of Greene's power and McKnight's finesse.

Fullbacks

John Conner (5'11", 245, Age 24): The "Terminator" takes the place of legend Tony Richardson. If he can get all the mental stuff down and hits people the way he did last year, he could be a star fullback. If he gets hurt, expect Richardson to get a call from the Jets.

Wide Receivers

Santonio Holmes (5'11", 192, Age 27): Clutch playmaker who comes in knowing his QB this year. Speedy, quick and clever route runner. Even more so in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Plaxico Burress (6'5", 232, Age 34): Can Burress be what he once was? A risky option, but if Burress is his former self, the Jets have a guy who demands double coverage and can help the Jets' red-zone woes dramatically.

Derrick Mason (5'10", 197, Age 37): Aging veteran who is an ideal option for the slot this year. Quick, clever guy who can run clean inside routes. Also a solid option to start if Holmes or Burress gets hurt.

Jeremy Kerley (5'9", 188, Age 22): Seems like a great draft pick already for the Jets. He will be the Jets No. 1 return guy and is also another great option for a slot receiver. Also important, he should be Brad Smith 2.0 in the Wildcat.

Logan Payne (6'2", 205, Age 26): It says a lot that the Jets kept him on the roster over Patrick Turner or anyone they could've picked up on waivers. Even though he starts the year injured, the Jets like his special teams impact and his skills for a taller wideout.

Tight Ends

Dustin Keller (6'2", 250, Age 26): Keller is entering his prime, and season after season he is predicted to "break out." He has greatly improved as a blocker and is an upper-echelon receiver for the spot. The Jets need to increase his role in the passing game.

Matthew Mulligan (6'4", 265, Age 26): Primarily will be used as the blocking tight end in the Jets system. A strong guy who has value on special teams as well.

Jeff Cumberland (6'4", 260, Age 24): A talented developmental player who should get more playing time this year in sets with two receiving tight ends. Great receiver; needs work as blocker.

Offensive Linemen

D'Brick Ferguson (6'6", 310, Age 27): He's developed in to a superstar on Sanchez's blindside. He isn't mismatched against any pass-rusher, with rare agility, quickness and arm length for the position. Not a bad run blocker either

Matt Slauson (6'5", 315, Age 25): Youngster overachieved last season replacing Alan Faneca, not the Jets best lineman, but he's adequate at least and seems to keep improving. A better run blocker than pass blocker at this point.

Nick Mangold (6'4", 307, Age 27): Best center in football. Can take NTs all by himself—a rare gift. Great at all aspects of the position. Outstanding technique and abilities. The Jets' best offensive player.

Brandon Moore (6'3", 305, Age 31): One of the better run blockers in football; very underrated guard who can open a running hole wide open. His pass blocking steadily improves but isn't fantastic. Great strength, but quickness is only average. Another upper-echelon starter.

Wayne Hunter (6'5", 318, Age 30): Hunter did a nice job filling in for Woody last year and earned his role as starter. Pretty athletic veteran who can flash some great ability. He is an average to below-average tackle—someone the defense may pick on.

Robert Turner (6'4", 308, Age 27): Versatile player; his injury takes the Jets back a bit. Very good backup lineman who can play center, guard or TE in the jumbo package. Plays with a mean streak and is in his prime.

Vladimir Ducasse (6'5" 325, Age 23): The second-round pick from 2010 needs to play a bit better to match his skill set. Massive player and a gym rat. Too many mental mistakes.

Caleb Schlauderaff (6'4", 302, Age 23): Sixth-round pick from GB who the Jets traded for. Plays with a mean streak, which NY likes, but isn't incredibly athletic. A bit of a project.

Colin Baxter (6'3", 310, Age 24): Rookie the Jets picked up recently. He'll probably be used as a backup center to help the Jets make up for losing Turner.

Inside Linebacker

David Harris (6'2", 250, Age 27): One of the best inside linebackers in football. Great run stopper who can rush the passer or cover underneath routes on third down.

Bart Scott (6'2", 242, Age 31): Veteran is entertaining and still a good linebacker. Great run stopper who can rush the passer well. Not as good.

Josh Mauga (6'1", 245, Age 24): Young LB had a great preseason and has came a long way from his rookie year. Not the best backup but has great upside.

Nick Bellore (6'1", 250, Age 22): A steal for the Jets being an undrafted rookie. A great developmental player who has taken to the pro game quickly. Good size, nice speed.

Outside Linebacker

Calvin Pace (6'4", 265, Age 30): A well-rounded outside linebacker who qualifies as the Jets' best pass-rusher. However, he is likely a better run stopper than a pass-rusher at this point. If he stays healthy, he could be a needed 10-sack guy on the defense.

Bryan Thomas (6'4", 260, Age 32): A solid starter who also is better at stopping the run that getting to the QB at this point. One of the longest tenured Jets plays very consistently and will get around five sacks a year.

Jamaal Westerman (6'3", 255, Age 26): The Jets are relying on this dark horse to be their designated pass-rusher, replacing Jason Taylor. He's got potential, but he still will have a hard job to do this year.

Garrett McIntyre (6'3" 255, Age 26): Undrafted free agent impressing in preseason. He's got good size and good speed for the position and gets to the QB well. A nice developmental player.

Defensive Linemen

Sione Pouha (6'3", 325, Age 32): Underrated nose tackle who is going to have to fill a very important role this season. Not Kris Jenkins in his prime but above-average run stopper.

Mike DeVito (6'3", 305, Age 27): Overachiever who has become a solid NFL starting DT. Not much of a pass-rusher but is a two-gap run stopper who is important to the Jets defense.

Muhammad Wilkerson (6'4", 315, Age 21): He is reminiscent of Shaun Ellis, but he is an inexperienced rookie. Seems ready as far as stopping the run but will need to develop the pass-rushing element of his game. He has been what the Jets expected and must come through big this year.

Ropati Pitoitua (6'8", 315, Age 26): Ryan and Pettite love this guy, who is coming off an ACL injury. He is a towering defender who can be punishing if he keeps leverage. A situational pass-rusher who will be rotated in this year on defense.

Marcus Dixon (6'4", 295, Age 26): A younger defensive lineman whose stock has shot up since last year. Once on the cusp of a position spot, the Jets made it clear he's in the mix with the first team. Not a larger defensive lineman, but has a lot of strength and athleticism.

Kenrick Ellis (6'5", 330, Age 23): The third-round pick this year has played pretty well, and the Jets will continue to develop him over the season. Moves remarkably well for his massive frame. NT of the future will probably see playing time later in the season.

Cornerbacks

Darrelle Revis (5'11", 198, Age 26): The best and most valuable Jet. He stops the No. 1 wideout with no help, often checkmating offenses. Special at all aspects of the position. Could be best Jet ever when his career is over.

Antonio Cromartie (6'2", 210, Age 27): Great No. 2 cornerback who excels in covering fast, tall and straight line receivers. Not as good with quicker wideouts who change direction a lot. Can be a ball hawk.

Kyle Wilson (5'10", 190, Age 24): The first-round pick trained with Revis this summer and must be what the Jets planned on him being. Much better and covering quicker guys, such as a Welker. Has disappointed so far and must be a more consistent defender.

Donald Strickland (5'10", 185, Age 30): Good backup for nickel-and-dime packages. Good run supporter with experience. Not as fast or tall. Should fill a role like Drew Coleman's last year.

Marquice Cole (5'10", 192, Age 27): Underrated cornerback who could be the third-best CB on the team. Good special teams player who has improved his coverage skills the last few years.

Isaiah Trufant (5'8", 170, Age 28) Has been good in other leagues but his lack of size has hurt his prospects in the NFL. Other than that, solid backup with quickness and speed. Brother was good NFL cornerback as well. Good special teams option.

Safeties

Jim Leonhard (5'8", 188, Age 28): Not the biggest or most athletic, but tough guy who knows Ryan's system more than anyone; signal-caller for defensive backfield, vital part of defense.

Eric Smith (6'1", 207, Age 28): Overachiever who has risen from backup to solid starter in a few years. Good in run support and great on special teams. Somewhat of a coverage liability.

Brodney Pool (6'2", 214, Age 27): Athletic safety who really is starting calibur, but he needs to learn this system better. He's a good special teams guy and could improve this year. Will see plenty of time this season; likely playing in situations replacing Smith.

Emmanuel Cook (5'10, 202, Age 23): Rose from practice squad in Jim Leonhard's absence and holds his spot on the roster. Still developing as a player but has decent speed and size. Has upside.

Andrew Sendejo (6'1", 225, Age 24): New guy Jets picked up from Dallas, which may help because they are playing Dallas. Nice size for the SS position; has good upside.

Practice Squad

Martin Teveseau (6'2", 325, Age 23): I'm surprised MTV didn't get picked up on waivers. Good backup NT and good NTs are hard to come by. Wouldn't be surprised to see him on roster during season.

Patrick Turner (6'5", 220, Age 24): Another I'm surprised didn't get picked up by another team. Good natural ability for a wideout, has some speed and is extremely tall. Could benefit from training with Burress.

Jarron Gilbert (6'5", 285, Age 24): A bit of a tweener from 3-4 DE to 4-3 DE. Small for a Jets' D-Lineman but very athletic. A steal for a practice squad.

Matt Kroul (6'3", 300, Age 25): The Jets love this guy, who they switched from D-Line to O-Line this preseason. Learns quickly and can play both sides of ball. A very valuable guy for practice squad.

Julian Posey (5'11", 187, Age 23): Undrafted rookie who shows promise. The Jets will develop him at CB on the practice squad where he can learn from covering Holmes, Burress, Mason, etc.

Matthias Berning (6'0", 224, Age 24): Fellow LB of Bellore from college, improved throughout preseason. Jets like the guy's upside and mentality at the ILB spot.

Trevor Canfield (6'5", 307, Age 25): Developmental player who impressed in preseason. Will be primarily a guard to use on the practice squad.

Coaches

Rex Ryan (Head Coach): A defensive genius and player's coach. Rex is an upper-echelon coach with unconventional methods. His teams can be undisciplined at times, but he has been great for the Jets franchise the last two years. He's a motivator and makes his team believe they can win...a lot.

Brian Schottenheimer (Offensive Coordinator): The pressure is on Shotty to finally get the most out of his talented offensive squad. He no longer has a rookie QB, and although he is innovative, he must prove he is effective.

Mike Pettine (Defensive Coordinator): Kind of a trainee of Rex Ryan. Pettine is an okay defensive coordinator who has been given the play-calling reins. This is still Rex's defense though.

Mike Westhoff (Special Teams): Although he's a bit quirky, the man knows how to coach special teams as well as anyone. They'll rely on him often with new kickoff rules and and sometimes stagnant offense.

Bill Callahan (Assistant HC/O-Line): The unsung hero of the coaching staff, Callahan has built one of the best O-Lines in football from the ground up. Not only has he trained Mangold, Brick, and Moore to Pro Bowl caliber, Slauson and Hunter have improved nicely as well.

Prediction: 10-6, Wild Card

The Jets are still a Super Bowl contender and deserving of it. Their roster suffered some losses this season, especially in depth, but they have young guys who they hope step up this season, especially at QB.

The defense remains focused on Revis in Ryan's scheme, but they must generate more of a pass-rush. That being said, this is still a team with an elite defense with a lot, perhaps more, talent on the offensive side of the ball. Bottom line, the way to the Super Bowl relies on Mark Sanchez, and of course, their rivalry from New England.