There’s obvious excitement in the air surrounding the new-look offense for the New York Jets now that Aaron Rodgers is behind center. But to get that offense moving, the Jets will hope for better luck from their offensive line than they had in 2022.
Injuries crushed the unit last season, including Mekhi Becton’s knee injury during training camp and Alijah Vera-Tucker’s triceps injury in the middle of the season. The Jets look much healthier this time up front and that could go a long way toward helping the Jets make a run this season.
However, in the eyes of Pro Football Focus’s Sam Monson, the Jets will have to overcome a unit that is among the bottom ten of the league. In his recent rankings of the 32 offensive line groups, the Jets come in at No. 23.
Projected Starting Lineup
LT Duane Brown
LG Laken Tomlinson
C Joe Tippmann
RG Alijah Vera-Tucker
RT Mekhi Becton – Missed all of 2022 injured
- The tackles are the biggest concern for the Jets. Duane Brown is now almost 38 and visibly declining, while Mekhi Becton has played fewer than 800 snaps in three years.
- Aaron Rodgers‘ arrival could immeasurably help the overall performance of the line. He is as good at manipulating a pocket as any quarterback in the game.
Best Player: Alijah Vera-Tucker
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, unfortunately, played in just seven games last season, but he has shown elite play inside at guard. He allowed only one sack across 276 pass-blocking snaps.
The line was definitely concerning last season, both in terms of injuries and play on the field. But with better quarterback play, the shortcomings could be masked somewhat as the Jets could be more explosive on offense. It may not be ideal to have a 38-year-old that dealt with shoulder issues at left tackle, but that gets balanced out a little by having a potential breakout star in Vera-Tucker. This is another chance for the Jets to prove people wrong.
