It’s time to stop licking our wounds, and time to focus on the Green Bay Packers’ next opponent. To set the table for some of the analysis that will come out later this week, let’s talk about the New York Jets’ roster and their starting players — as the Packers hope to best them to avoid an 0-2 start.
Last week, the Jets ran for 152 yards in a fairly low-scoring 23-10 game against what looks to be a very poor Tennessee Titans. For what it’s worth, they held quarterback Cam Ward to just a 34.4 QBR
in Sunday’s win.
Skill Players
- QB Geno Smith
- RB Breece Hall
- WR Garrett Wilson
- WR Adonai Mitchell
- WR Isaiah Williams
- TE Mason Taylor
- TE Jeremy Ruckert
On film, quarterback Geno Smith looked spry — more like the Seattle Seahawks version of himself than what we saw with the Las Vegas Raiders last year. Obviously, New York’s number one running back is Breece Hall, but expect former Badger Braelon Allen to get some touches throughout the game, too. Running back Kene Nwangwu, best known for his contributions as a returner, missed Week 1 (he was listed on the injury report as doubtful), and he was listed as a non-participant in practice on Wednesday.
Rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is expected to miss several weeks with an ankle sprain, a pretty big blow for the Jets, who are already down a projected starting receiver in Tim Patrick — who is on the injured reserve with a groin injury. At the moment, New York’s third receiver appears to be Isaiah Williams, a third-year undrafted free agent who is already on his third NFL team.
Because of the issues at receiver, don’t be surprised if the Jets lean into their tight ends in this game, which would put the Packers’ base 3-4 defense on the field more frequently. New York’s most-used tight ends were Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert in Week 1, but first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq, Jelani Woods and fullback Andrew Beck (a former Packer) also got playing time. In fact, the Jets had the bright idea to play all five of them on the field at once in the red zone in Week 1, featuring Sadiq (who got a rushing touchdown on another play) in the backfield.
Offensive Line
- LT: Olu Fashanu
- LG: Dylan Parham
- C: Josh Myers
- RG: Joe Tippman
- RT: Armand Membou
The Jets’ tackles are young, but you’ll recognize an old name in the middle of the offensive line: former Packer Josh Myers. I’m sure that if the Packers struggle at any point with their own offensive line, we’ll be hearing a lot of would-have, could-have, should-haves about Myers on Sunday.
Defensive Line
- David Onyemata
- Harrison Phillips
- T’Vondre Sweat
The Jets talked a lot about running a 4-3, 3-4 hybrid this offseason, but they almost exclusively played a 3-4 defense in base in Week 1. Their new-look defensive line mostly featured David Onyemata (a free agent signing) and T’Vondre Sweat (a trade) on the line of scrimmage. For what it’s worth, rookie Darrell Jackson Jr., who was a draft crush of many, was New York’s fifth-most-used defensive lineman last week.
Edge Defender
- David Bailey
- Kingsley Enagbare
This was supposed to be a four-man rotation, but edge defender Joseph Ossai missed last week’s game with a plantar fascia injury and started this week as a non-participant in practice. Without Ossai, it’s really a three-man unit with first-round rookie David Bailey, former Packer Kingsley Enagbare and Will McDonald IV spearheading the unit. Yes, McDonald, who was taken two picks after Lukas Van Ness, has been relegated to a backup role going into Year 4 of his NFL career.
Off-Ball Linebacker
- Demario Davis
- Jamien Sherwood
This one is pretty straightforward, as these players are every-down players for the Jets. Demario Davis is the team’s veteran presence at 37 (!) years old, while Jamien Sherwood is New York’s run-and-chase linebacker. There’s been mixed results on the Sherwood front after the team signed him to a three-year, $45 million contract that helped reset the off-ball linebacker market for non-Pro Bowlers in the 2025 offseason.
Cornerback
- Brandon Stephens
- Azareye’h Thomas
- Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (slot)
Rookie second-round pick D’Angelo Ponds missed last week’s action with a calf injury after being listed as doubtful going into the weekend. For what it’s worth, Ponds was also a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, as it’s unclear whether or not he will play this week.
With Ponds out (and a major injury at safety), the outside cornerbacks right now are Brandon Stephens and Azareye’h Thomas, with Jarvis Brown Jr. playing in the slot.
Safety
- Dane Belton
- Andre Cisco
Starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick left Week 1 early with a groin injury and is expected to miss several weeks, meaning he obviously won’t play against the Packers. Without Fitzpatrick, the safeties were Dane Belton and Andre Cisco, two journeyman players.
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In kicker news, the Jets had to call up veteran Jason Sanders from the practice squad for Blake Grupe last week. The two are in a kicking competition right now, and it’s not clear who will be on the field against the Packers on Sunday.
