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So many people latch on to everything these guys say . . .
This story got some play last week.
Pro Football Focus’s Sam Monson recently ranked the Jets’ offensive line 23 of the 32 offensive line units.
I have no idea what the science is behind these rankings.
If you want to rank a unit after a season ends based on their body of work that season, fine, go for it.
But there are so many variables and moving parts right now, how on earth can you discern what kind of O-Line the Jets will have this season?
You need to be Nostradamus on steroids to be able to determine what kind of unit the Jets will have this year.
Think about all the things we need answers to right now to provide insight into this.
It’s likely that Mehki Becton will be playing right tackle with Duane Brown on the team. How will Becton play on that side? Now if Brown isn’t healthy, Becton could stay at left tackle.
But let’s say it’s Brown at left tackle, and Becton at right tackle, that could be a very good tandem. I remember when Becton was in the draft, a long-time respected NFL talent evaluator, now retired, told me that he saw Becton as a right tackle.
I think he could be one of the best right tackles in the game, maybe even the second-coming on Lane Johnson. During his rookie year with the Jets, Becton was a dominating run blocker and so-so pass protector. Even in the first game of the 2021 season when Becton hurt his knee against Carolina late in the first half, he had already given up a sack to a backup edge-rusher named Marquis Haynes.
The point here is simple – to me if you are a dominating run-blocking tackle, and up-and-down as a pass protector, the right side is a good spot for you.
Even with playing with a shoulder that needed surgery, Brown’s pass protection was very good last year at left tackle.
So this tackle combination could be terrific, and they have depth at tackle led by Billy Turner, who has 75 career NFL starts at tackle and guard. It’s too early to tell what the Jets have in Max Mitchell and Carter Warren. They both could be very good, but not enough information about them on the NFL level to really make that determination right now.
At center, they have Connor McGovern, with the 2023 draft’s best center Joe Tippmann behind him, who will clearly take over sooner, rather than later.
The two guards are Alijah Vera-Tucker and Laken Tomlinson. AVT, who is coming off a season-ending arm injury, has the potential to be one of the NFL’s best guards, and Tomlinson’s body over work has been solid.
They have some quality depth on paper inside with whoever the backup center is, and with Wes Schweitzer and Trystan Colon.
On paper, they seem to have the pieces to have a good line, but who knows how it’s all going to come together.
Another factor that makes it hard to evaluate the Jets’ offensive line is they have a new line coach in Keith Carter, and some new running concepts under new offensive coordinator Nate Hackett.
So there are so many moving parts with the Jets’ offensive line as we sit here right now in late June, so it’s really impossible to rank them in the NFL hierarchy of offensive lines.
Ranking offensive line around the NFL this time of year is kind of absurd, to be quite honest with you.
June 26, 2023
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