The Jets added a useful piece to their offensive line mix on cutdown day, but the move doesn’t look like a straight-up threat to Josh Myers’ job.
New York landed interior lineman Jordan Meredith from the Raiders for a late-round pick swap, and the appeal is obvious: he gives the Jets needed depth on an offensive line that could still use another body. Meredith also brings experience, plus a résumé that includes flashes of strong guard play when he’s been at his best.
That’s where the real question starts. With Myers installed at center, could Meredith eventually push for that spot?
The short answer from last season’s numbers: maybe in theory, but not enough to make this an open battle. The Jets are set to open the season with Myers at center, and there’s a strong case for keeping it that way.
Meredith’s 2024 season at guard was the high point. He ranked sixth at the position in Pro Football Focus’ overall grade, which is why the Raiders shifted him to center in 2025.
That move did not go nearly as well. His play dropped off sharply.
Myers’ year in New York wasn’t clean either, but the context matters. He was expected to be a backup before Alijah Vera-Tucker suffered a season-ending injury before Week 1. That shuffle pushed Joe Tippmann to guard and moved Myers into the center spot, where he ended up starting all 17 games.
He handled the full season, and that matters. He wasn’t brought in to be the guy from day one, yet he adjusted fast and stayed there all year.
The problem is that the performance never really caught up. Myers later signed a two-year extension with the Jets during the season, but his play pointed more toward a strong depth option than a true long-term answer.
When you line Myers and Meredith up at center, the difference is smaller than you might expect. In overall grading, Meredith came out slightly ahead, but neither player looked like a clear starting center.
Myers ranked 39th out of 40 qualifiers in PFF’s overall grade, while Meredith finished 32nd. Meredith’s best category was run blocking, where he still landed only 29th.
Myers had the edge where it counts most in protection. His 62.9 pass-blocking grade ranked 29th, while Meredith’s 48.5 came in at 38th. Meredith did allow eight fewer total pressures, 20 to Myers’ 28, but he also worked on far fewer pass-blocking snaps, 439 compared to 640.
Penalties were another issue for Myers. He was flagged seven times, the third most among centers. Meredith had four, which tied for 18th.
So the split is pretty clean. Myers was better in pass protection.
Meredith was better in the run game. Neither was especially strong in a major area, and neither posted starting-caliber results at center in 2025.
What Meredith does bring is versatility. He has experience at all three interior offensive line spots, and his best work came at guard in 2024. That makes him a valuable second-string addition and gives the Jets another option if injuries hit.
For now, though, continuity points to Myers staying put. He took every snap as the starter last year, and he’s been the center throughout the summer. Changing now just to chase a modest upgrade wouldn’t make much sense.
Still, Meredith gives New York something useful: a real backup across the interior and a fallback at center if Myers stumbles early.
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