New York Jets 2023 Preview: Why Aaron Rodgers Makes Them Contenders

The Jets were one of the most unique teams in 2022. New York had many things going their way, but the QB play hindered their success. Zach Wilson was a total mess on the field, but things will be drastically different in 2023. Considering this team was a couple of wins away from making the playoffs, it’s pretty terrifying to think what they could be with Aaron Rodgers. I’ll get into Rodgers later, but I feel he has been overly scrutinized recently. While the task is as challenging as it gets, this team has what it takes to make a Super Bowl run. I still wouldn’t bet on it happening, as the conference has a handful of contenders. Regardless, I expect the Jets to be a legit playoff team.

Alongside bringing in Rodgers, there were several impactful acquisitions this front office made. Although it still makes sense, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Elijah Moore trade. Allen Lazard was overpaid, but you can’t deny the chemistry he has with Rodgers. Bringing in Nathaniel Hackett was wise, as he and Rodgers have an excellent connection. Furthermore, New York signed a few veteran Safeties who will all have roles here. The Will McDonald IV pick was a reach, but the rest of the draft was mostly good. Look for Bryce Huff to get traded, as he’s a talented EDGE who’s buried in the depth chart. In addition to Rodgers, the surrounding core and defense have improved from last year. If the Jets ever win a Super Bowl, it’ll be this year.

I watched all-22 footage on every team and reconciled it with advanced stats such as PFF. Based on film and stats, I develop grades for every position by using a formula that takes into account every player on the depth chart. Shout out to TFG for inspiring this kind of content. Please use code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.

Key

Grading scale: 20-100.

(+): The player is expected to improve.

Player Tiers:

Team Overview

Coaching Staff

Robert Saleh is a really easy guy to get behind as a coach. He’s likable; his scheme works, and players give it their all for him. Is he an elite coach that can take a mediocre roster to the playoffs? I’d say no, but you still feel great about having him here. Since arriving in New York, the culture has taken a massive step up. You see young guys develop, and the effort is clearly there from everyone. With Aaron Rodgers here, the culture is likely to get even better. Rodgers and Saleh as a QB-coach combo is as exciting as it gets.

Saleh is one of the most impactful defensive minds in the game. He runs a more balanced version of the classic Seattle-Three scheme. A traditional Seattle-Three system uses cover three in the majority of plays. Saleh will use cover-three more than anything else but has much more variety in his coverage schemes. You see him play more man, quarters, and cover-six. In 2022, the Jets finished dead last in blitz percentage. They were able to manufacture pressure with stunts and twists. Jeff Ulbrich is also here, who will call plays, although Saleh has the final say. Ulbrich was influenced by Dan Quinn and Gus Bradley – two Seattle-Three minds. Ulbrich and Saleh did a remarkable job getting this defense to play elite, and I expect that to continue.

Hackett undoubtedly had a disastrous season with Denver as the head coach. That said, he was an exceptional OC for Green Bay and had a tremendous connection with Rodgers. Hackett likely bounces back because he’s solely the play-caller and is back with his good friend. When he left Green Bay, Lefleur’s play-calling took a step down. There was clearly some insight and creativity missing in Green Bay’s offense, likely due to him. His scheme is a wide-zone offense with heavy usage of motion and play-action. He loves to call play-action shots, as Russ had 16% of his attempts go deep. His passing concepts are creative, and he creates easy reads for the QB. Hackett’s biggest downfall with Denver was how he prepared the team. His scheme should work, especially with the talented personnel here.

Jets Offense

Overall Offense – 83.9 (8)

This is the offense I’m most excited to see in 2023. The last time Rodgers had stellar circumstances around him, he won MVP and made a push to the Super Bowl. New York was his best landing spot, and he’ll be on a mission to prove people wrong. Playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand clearly hindered his accuracy. Additionally, he had no legitimate Receivers for half the year. Rodgers would’ve retired if he wasn’t ready to keep playing. I expect a pretty close season to what we saw two years ago. Read “Ranking The 37 Best QBs In The NFL (Part Three)” for an even more detailed breakdown of Aaron Rodgers.

One of the primary reasons Rodgers will excel here is Garrett Wilson, an ascending star Receiver. He was my WR1 in the 2022 draft and hasn’t disappointed me so far. His size-athletism combo and terrific route running make for a true number-one Receiver. Corey Davis hasn’t been a significant part of this offense, although he is still a reliable guy to have around. I project Allen Lazard to be a big-bodied Slot so that Davis can start. Lazard is slow and stiff, but as a third option, he should flourish. He at least has decent hands and has good chemistry with Rodgers. Furthermore, Mecole Hardman is best as a fourth Receiver. He does take the top off the defense, although he is a lackluster route runner with mediocre hands.

In addition to the Receivers, C.J. Uzomah is a decent veteran at Tight End. He had a down year but still brings a lovely presence to the locker room. Tyler Conklin isn’t the worst fifth weapon to have out there, either. He’s also an underrated run blocker. Zack Kuntz was a seventh-round pick who could make the roster. Not only is he an elite athlete, but the traits are also there. Breece Hall was looking like a star Runningback before he got hurt. He should be ready by week one, and I’m expecting a monstrous season. His vision and patience are Lev Bell-esque. Micheal Carter is an excellent number two, and Israel Abanikanda could be a surprise player. The weapons here aren’t elite, but I think Rodgers will be plenty happy with it.

The O-Line seemed to need an upgrade in the draft, but reportedly, the Jets feel good about Mekhi Becton. He isn’t happy about it, but it seems they’ll be moving him to RT. He showed immense talent as a rookie, but injuries derailed his career. I hope he returns to his former self, as he’d be a massive asset on offense. Next to him at Gaurd is Alijah Vera-Tucker, who gets a bit overrated by some. That isn’t to say he isn’t good, but he isn’t some star player. At the Center, it’s a competition between Connor McGovern and Joe Tippmann. I expect Tippmann to start despite not being as good in pass-pro. He just has excellent potential and fits the scheme perfectly. His athleticism and move-blocking ability are fantastic for a rookie.

Furthermore, Laken Tomlinson is a high-paid Guard you feel good about. He has developed into a balanced player and is an ideal scheme fit. Duane Brown is a quality vet who holds his own in pass-pro. The O-line will be a slight downgrade for Rodgers, but it’s plenty sufficient for him to do his thing. I think this offense is ready to handle whatever the AFC throws at them.

Jets Defense

Overall Defense – 82.5 (6)

After having a tremendous year on defense, there’s no reason to think it won’t be the same this year. Sauce Gardner likely doesn’t have quite as good of a year but will still be an elite player. His zone IQ and ability to press are world-class for his age. It’s wild how intelligent of a player he’ll be in a few years. On the other perimeter is D.J. Reed, easily one of the best number two’s in the NFL. Reed excels in off-coverage and has the athletism to hang with most deep threats. Sauce and Reed are arguably the best Corner duo in football right now. Michael Carter II is also serviceable Slot Corner coming off an impressive year. His run instincts and willingness to tackle are highly coveted in the Slot.

Additionally, Bryce Hall also strengthens the secondary as a good Dime Corner. If one of these starters goes down, they won’t be screwed, either. Furthermore, the Safeties here are adequate for the secondary to have success. It’s not like either are studs, but they’ll get the job done. Adrian Amos was wisely brought in and could start week one. Jordan Whitehead was paid like a starter and should be their best coverage guy. With three guys that can start, they’ll be fine on the backend. Just don’t expect a whole lot of flashy plays from these safeties.

Linebackers are the one group I thought needed an upgrade the most. C.J. Mosely is still a stud-run defender and isn’t poor in coverage. I’m not the biggest Quincy Williams fan, although he’ll be alright as a starter. He just isn’t going to elevate this defense at all. The depth is where it gets problematic, as Jamien Sherwood is the next man up. Linebacker is arguably the least significant position, so this defense will still be incredible even if these guys don’t play well.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this D-Line. They have their dominant game-changing pass-rusher in Quinnen Williams and numerous impactful role players to surround him with. Williams broke out last year and racked up 52 pressures while being an exceptional run defender. Having him is crucial as he’s a genuine force multiplier. John Franklin-Myers has emerged as one of the most underrated EDGEs recently. He was right up there with Williams at 51 pressures and was a dominant run defender. There’s also a handful of other EDGEs who’ll rotate in and out of the lineup. While an injury risk, Carl Lawson is still a stellar player when on the field.

Additionally, Jermain Johnson is the perfect guy to play on run defense downs. He also has a lot of upside as a pass-rusher. Will McDonald should get into the rotation in year one and will be a menace on stunts and twists. His speed-bend combo is phenomenal. Bryce Huff likely won’t play, but he flashed elite moments in his little playing time last year. Besides Williams, the interior looks thin. Quentin Jefferson is best suited as a rotational guy and will have to start. Outside of that, this defense is in fantastic shape. This team will be in it every game as long as the score is low.

Jets Schedule

Total Win Projection – 10.1