The first week of Jets camp has already started to sort itself into a few clear lanes, even with the reminder that none of this is close to final. There have only been a couple of padded practices, the first preseason game is still about 10 days away, and there’s plenty of runway left for players to push their way onto - or off - the roster.
One of the more interesting notes out of camp came from Demario Davis, who spoke with Bart Scott about what it was like entering the league with the Jets. Davis described how those early practices helped shape him as an inside linebacker and as a pro.
“My first couple of practices, you were like, ‘Hey, when they run iso, you got to blow that guy up.’ I was like OK, I saw what it’s like, and so you showed me how to play the game as an inside linebacker and to be that enforcer.
I learned that and I took a little bit from everybody - D’Brickashaw Ferguson, too - about being a pro. And I was able to put that into my game and build a career.
And now I’m able to come back to a locker room that’s very familiar to me and do the same thing for other guys.”
Davis is also the lone Jets player to crack the NFL’s Top 100 so far. He’s sitting at No. 36, and with the list currently down to No. 36, it doesn’t look like many more Jets are going to land in that neighborhood.
The writeup on Davis noted that after five straight years on the NFL Top 100, he was left out in 2025 before returning after his final season with the Saints. The Jets signed the 14-year veteran they drafted in the third round back in 2012, and the two-time Pro Bowler is coming off a career-high tackle total at age 36.
Elsewhere, the quarterback discussion took a hit for Geno Smith in The Athletic’s latest power rankings. The piece, built from the opinions of 8 GMs, 5 assistant GMs, 5 former GMs, 3 executives, 9 HCs, 10 DCs, 5 OCs and others, placed Smith in tier 4, between Malik Willis at No. 29 and Deshaun Watson at No.
- The ranking noted that Smith posted the largest year-over-year drop of any quarterback, sliding from a career-best 2.90 average to 3.70, with his 11-spot fall matching C.J.
Stroud for the biggest decline. One defensive coordinator didn’t mince words: “He looked terrible on the film we saw,” a defensive coordinator said.
There’s also movement around the margins of the roster. Khalil Herbert, who spent much of the 2025 season with the Jets, has signed with the 49ers. On the flip side, tight end Connor Hulstein of Marist University reached agreement today with the Jets.
For all the roster chatter, the clearest camp storyline right now is still the injury list. Sweat, Ossai and Ponds haven’t practiced at all, Sadiq has been limited, and the team has already lost or cut some depth receivers because of injuries. It’s not the kind of issue that screams emergency yet - especially compared with what’s happening in Carolina - but it’s the sort of thing that can start to hang over a camp if it keeps building.
In Other News...
Jets May Have One More Trade To Fix A Major Need
The Jets have already been busy trying to shore up the trenches, landing defensive linemen Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips in recent trades, but the roster still has room for another move before the 2026 season. The next swing could come on the other side of the ball, where New York has been linked to a few possible trade targets that would address specific needs and give the front office more flexibility as it keeps reshaping the roster.
Among the names being discussed are a veteran quarterback option in Andy Dalton and an interior offensive line target in Cesar Ruiz, both of whom would fit the kind of practical, position-by-position help the Jets have sought this offseason. There is also interest in safety Jessie Bates III, a bigger-ticket possibility that would signal a more aggressive push to strengthen the back end, even if any deal still depends on how far the team wants to go to chase one more upgrade. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Bring Back A Familiar Edge At Training Camp
Training camp in Florham Park got a little extra edge this week when Bart Scott, Eric Smith and Tony Richardson were back around the Jets during a padded practice session. The three former players were central figures in the teams 2010 AFC championship run, and their presence served as a reminder of the kind of physical, reliable football the franchise still likes to celebrate when camp gets serious.
Their visit also fit into a recent pattern, with several Jets legends stopping by camp as the team looks to bridge its past and present. It is the kind of setting that can sharpen attention for current players who are trying to carve out their own place in the organization, especially when the reminders of what success looked like here are standing right on the sideline. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Rookie Cade Klubnik Has Put Real Pressure On One Camp Decision
Cade Klubnik has already made training camp a little more interesting for the Jets, even if his work so far has looked exactly like what you would expect from a rookie quarterback. The fourth-round pick has flashed some potential while also showing the usual bumps and uneven stretches, and he has handled most of the second-team reps as the staff takes a close look at what he can offer behind the starter.
The bigger issue is that Klubnik has not yet created enough separation to make the backup picture feel settled. Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook are still in the mix, and the way Klubnik performs in the preseason could end up shaping more than just his own status, because the Jets need clarity at a spot that tends to get crowded fast when no one claims it outright. [Read more 🡒]