With camp about to begin there are certain players I'm watching closely this year. Some are obvious, like Hackenberg and the whole QB staff or the top rookies drafted and if they'll be day one impact players...or busts. Instead I'm going to focus my attention to the bottom of the draft players, UDFA's and invitees. Some of these may already be gone and I missed it, I've been rather busy the past month and unable to pay close attention to roster moves. And of course I'm talking about potential, there are reasons these guys fell to the bottom of the draft or went UDFA. These are just the guys I'll be watching closely and pulling for but realizing they have warts, in some cases it's size, in other speed, in others health concerns. But what all these guys on my list bring to the table are attitude, work ethic, football smarts, and game tapes. #1a on my list is CB Xavier Coleman, UDFA. I personally felt he should have gone in the 4th or 5th round, the fact he went undrafted surprised me a little, but I can attribute that to the health issue. Of all the players in the bottom of the draft, and especially the UDFA class, he has the best chance of sticking on the roster. He brings everything to the table I like in a Corner except elite speed. He's tenacious, a hitter, and has a nose for the ball. Corner is a position of need that the Jets are relatively shallow at in terms of proven talent and he has a good chance of sticking on the 53 as a special teams player if nothing else, but I could easily see him being the #3 corner on the team. #1b is Jeremy Clark, CB 6th round. I put Jeremy behind Coleman just because of the ACL. Without the ACL he goes much higher and he was my 2nd favorite mid round (without the ACL) CB, my favorite was Fabien Moreau who was taken in the 3rd by the redskins. If healthy Clark and Coleman could easily be 2 of the top 3 CB's on the roster in the 2018 season, that's how much I like the potential of these two guys...but again, there's reasons they fell, in both cases I feel that was health, the heart condition in his youth in the case of Coleman and the ACL in the case of Clark. #2 on my list is WR Gabe Marks. Yes he's undersized but, like Coleman, he brings things to the table that I really like. He's gritty (didn't want to use the word tenacious again) and fearless. WR is a position that will have some competition this year. Marks is a guy who could make the team as a slot receiver or punt returner. I think, if used like New England uses smaller receivers, Marks could be a true impact player. #3 ILB Conner Harris. In many ways I think he's the most likely on the list to actually make the 53, but I like the potential impact of Coleman and Marks more, should they make the cut. (this isn't in order of who I think is most likely to make the team, just order of potential impact combined with chances of making the team.). Harris is about everything you could ask of a 2nd string ILB (not saying that's his ceiling but it's probably his initial role). I'm very confident he'll make the 53 as at least a special teams player and 2nd string ILB. He does bring everything to the table you want...except size. I could see him as a starting ILB in 2018 if he plays above his size. #4 on my list is Dylan Donahue. I love this guy, he'd be a sure thing if he were bigger and stronger, like the others on this list, he brings attitude and motor...Like Marks and Harris if his motor and work ethic can overcome his size he's an impact player...He's at least a special teamer. These are the 5 guys I'm watching most closely, not because I think they'll be impact players in 2017, but rather because of their potential to stick on the 2017 roster and be impact players in 2018 or 2019.
