ESPN’s Aaron Schatz put together a ranking of the players under 25 years old on each team in the NFL. Jets fans may be pleased to learn that the team rated highly. Schatz put them 7th overall.
- New York Jets
Last year’s rank: 28
Blue chips: Edge David Bailey, OT Armand Membou
Notable graduated players: RB Breece Hall, G Joe Tippmann
Here’s our first team that doesn’t have a young quarterback, unless you want to count 22-year-old fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik. No, the leader of the youth for the Jets is No. 2 pick Bailey,
who will be 23 in August. The Jets’ defense also has 24-year-old safety Malachi Moore, 22-year-old cornerback Azareye’h Thomas and 21-year-old nickelback D’Angelo Ponds.
On offense, the young talent is led by the bookends of the line, with left tackle Olu Fashanu now 23 and right tackle Membou just 22. First-round wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is 22, and Adonai Mitchell — acquired from the Colts last season in the Sauce Gardner deal — is still just 23. At tight end, the Jets have 16th pick Kenyon Sadiq, who doesn’t turn 22 until March, along with 22-year-old Mason Taylor.
Two things are notable to me. First is that as Schatz notes, the Jets are the top ranked team without a young quarterback, Obviously that will be a key piece to fill in, but it shows the team is attempting to build a new youthful core.
I think the trajectory is worth noting. A year ago, the Jets rated near the bottom at 28th. It isn’t a huge surprise to see such a leap after four selections in the top 50 of the NFL Draft, but with three additional first round picks to come in 2027 the Jets could turn their team around quickly with the right picks.
