The Jets opened the preseason with a 21-16 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 2023 Hall of Fame Game. Despite the loss, there were some positives that came out of the game. Coming out of Thursday’s game, here are four takeaways from the first preseason game of the season.
Zach Wilson holds firm in national spotlight
Now the backup to Aaron Rodgers, Zach Wilson had a chance to show a national audience the progress he has made in training camp. So far, Wilson is taking the lessons from Rodgers and the training from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to heart and looked to take a small step forward Thursday. He was given easier reads, sure, but he’s learning to take what the defense gives him and go through his progressions instead of forcing throws like he tended to do last season.
Wilson still has plenty of work to do, but so far, 2023 has brought a positive change to the former No. 2 overall pick.
Mekhi Becton will start...it's just a matter of for which team
Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton also started Thursday’s game and, while he didn’t play the 20-25 snaps that were initially expected, he still looked pretty good in the limited action he got. Head coach Robert Saleh said that was more about building up Becton’s confidence in his knee.
Becton looked strong in both run blocking and pass protection. Obviously, he wasn’t facing Myles Garrett or any of the top defenders for the Browns, but Becton at least showed he can still be a good tackle when he is healthy. So now the question is will Becton stick with the Jets or will he be traded and potentially start somewhere else? Either way, a healthy Becton can still start in the NFL.
The Jets may have some legit depth at the linebacker position
The Jets entered Thursday’s game looking for some answers at the linebacker position. Jamien Sherwood started Thursday to give him some reps before the season as he is expected to start alongside C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams. One of the biggest questions was who would be behind those three. As it turns out, the Jets may have a pair of linebackers that can both serve behind the top three.
Chazz Surratt, who spent all of last season on the Jets practice squad, and rookie Zaire Barnes both put in solid performances Thursday, which only added to the competition at the position. Could the Jets keep five off-ball linebackers? At the very least, the Jets could have a tough call to make if they do have to cut one.
Will McDonald flashed, Bryce Huff played an awful lot Thursday
Rookie edge-rusher Will McDonald showed some nice flashes during Thursday’s game. The ability to move more inside on the defensive front than he was used to at Iowa State is going to work wonders for McDonald and add to an already exciting pass rush for the Jets.
Another member of that pass rush played an interesting amount of time Thursday. Bryce Huff played into the second half, something you wouldn’t have expected coming into the game. Maybe because he played limited snaps last season, the Jets wanted to give him extra reps, but Huff was one of the better pressure-creators last season for the team that you would think he’d be pretty set in the rotation. But he came out healthy and that’s the most important piece.
The Jets have some speed on offense not named Mecole Hardman
Rookie running back Israel Abanikanda got the start for the Jets Thursday with the team resting Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight. Abanikanda ran well and scored a touchdown, showing some speed throughout the game. Keep in mind he wasn’t playing behind the starting offensive line, at least on the interior. Max Mitchell started at right tackle and could be the Week 1 starting tackle and, of course, Becton started at left, though it’s still 50/50 if he’ll start again for the Jets.
Despite a down performance on the stat line, Jason Brownlee continued to show the shiftiness and athleticism he has shown all offseason as he continues to make a case to crack the 53-man roster. Fellow undrafted wide receiver Xavier Gipson also had a nice return as he tries to steal the returning role for the Jets.
