The New York Jets reported to training camp on Tuesday, July 28. The offensive line appears primed to be the strength of the offense. Olu Fashanu (LT), Dylan Parham (LG), Josh Myers (C), Joe Tippmann (RG), and Armand Membou (RT) offer the offense continuity, with four-of-five starters returning from last season.
Entire offensive lines rarely make it through a 17-game season fully healthy. It's imperative to have quality backup linemen to ensure the offense can still operate in acceptable fashion when injuries arise. With camp kicking off, we've decided to list which players we expect to fill roles as the primary backups at each offensive line position.
LT - Max Mitchell
The Jets re-signed Max Mitchell earlier this offseason upon the expiration of his rookie contract
to be the backup left tackle. The fourth-round pick from the 2022 NFL draft has developed into a quality reserve lineman. Mitchell has started 17 NFL games for the Jets and is the sort of backup left tackle found on most rosters around the league.
LG/C - Xavier Newman-Johnson
Xavier Newman-Johnson is expected to serve as the primary backup at both left guard (behind Parham) and center (behind Myers). Newman-Johnson has experience playing guard and center dating back to his Baylor and Tennessee Titans days. The Jets value that positional flexibility.
RG - Anez Cooper
Anez Cooper is a rookie sixth-round selection out of Miami. He's a big-bodied interior blocker with overwhelming mass and power. The Jets are probably hoping Cooper could eventually develop into a starter, perhaps as the long-term succession plan to Parham at left guard.
RT - Chukwuma Okorafor
The Jets re-signed veteran offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor to a one-year contract this offseason after initially acquiring him via free agency last summer. Okorafor did not play a single offensive snap for the Jets in 2025, but the majority of his NFL experience comes at right tackle. That's where he's expected to back up Membou.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: What does the Jets' backup OL look like heading into camp?
