Breaking down the Jets' 16 wide receivers By: Tyler Calvaruso | 1 hour ago To say the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart is crowded is an understatement. New York currently has 16 wideouts on the roster, a number that could grow if general manager Mike Maccagnan decides to take a wide receiver at any point in the 2018 NFL draft. As it stands right now, every wide receiver on New York’s roster has a pretty clear role. From the starters to the players fighting for a roster spot heading into OTA’s and training camp, it’s easy to categorize all 16 players. With that being said, Jets Wire is here to break down New York’s crowded wide receiver depth chart. The Starters After nearly eclipsing 1,000 yards last season, both Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse head into 2018 entrenched as New York’s two starting wide receivers. Joining Anderson and Kearse in the starting lineup will be Quincy Enunwa, who missed all of last season with a neck injury. The return of Enunwa bolsters New York’s passing attack and takes some of the pressure off of Anderson and Kearse. The Contributors At this point in time, Terrelle Pryor can be the only Jets wide receiver marked down as a contributor. Although his role has yet to be determined, Pryor will provide the Jets with another deep threat to go alongside Anderson. Chad Hansen and ArDarius Stewart (who we’ll get to in a minute) could also be considered “contributors,” but both players still have a lot of work to do in order to become consistent factors in the passing game. The Up and Comers After up and down rookie campaigns, both Hansen and Stewart find themselves among the up and comers. Both players are talented enough to become major factors in New York’s aerial attack down the road. However, the production needs to increase and certain skills need to be refined if either player wants to climb the Jets’ depth chart. With Anderson, Kearse, Enunwa and Pryor locking down the top four spots, it’s hard to see Hansen or Stewart making much of an impact in 2018, barring an injury. However, if either or both of them shine in training camp, it’ll be hard for Todd Bowles to keep them off the field. The Role Players Andre Roberts and Lucky Whitehead are technically wide receivers, but neither player makes their money catching passes. Instead, both Roberts and Whitehead thrive in the return game — an area of need for the Jets on a yearly basis. Roberts has the inside track at both the punt and kick return jobs, but Whitehead also has a reputation for being an electric return man in his days with the Dallas Cowboys. Another possible candidate to make an impact in the return game is JoJo Natson. After joining the Jets late in the season, Natson provided New York’s return game with a bit of a spark. However, he averaged only 2.5 yards per punt return. The Hopefuls Devin Smith, Charone Peake and Jalin Marshall have all been with the Jets for multiple seasons, yet none of them have been able to carve out a role as a contributor. A second-round pick in 2015, Smith has been plagued by injuries. Marshall has dealt with his fair share of setbacks due to suspension. Peake, who once looked like the most promising of the bunch, has done next to nothing. Maybe 2018 could be the season one of these three breaks out. If they don’t, though, they will likely be cut. The Unknown The Jets have multiple wide receivers who are currently unknown in the sense that they might be able to challenge for a roster spot in training camp, but nothing is certain in that regard. Players such as Tre McBride, Brisly Estime, Damore’ea Stringfellow and Daniel Williams could all contribute in the NFL. However, it remains to be seen if any member of the aforementioned trio will have a shot to make an impact in New York.
Anderson Enunwa Pryor Kearse Hansen Stewart Return Man TBD - probably Roberts, maybe Whitehead There are your 2018 Jets WR's, barring injury. Can't see them keeping more than 7 on the active roster and they're not cutting one of last years rookies. The only way I see 8 on the team is if one if drafted and even then, that could just spell the end for Kearse here due to his cap number, although I'm not sure why cap numbers matter for this team, seeing as we have all of the money.
While I'm sure the players at the middle to bottom have't distinguished themselves, I often wonder, how are they supposed to distinguish themselves, if the don't see much in the way of playing time?
