The Jets can point to Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson and feel pretty good about the shape of their offense, but CBS Sports still wasn’t buying it. In the network’s latest ranking of NFL “triplets” - quarterback, running back and No. 1 pass-catcher - New York landed all the way down at No. 29.
Only the Browns, Dolphins and Titans were placed below them.
That’s a harsh spot for a group that, on paper, has real talent at two of the three spots. Hall and Wilson are both viewed well around the league, which makes the quarterback slot the obvious reason the Jets got shoved near the bottom of the list. Geno Smith is the piece dragging the ranking down, and CBS’ formula had New York just a few small percentage points behind the Panthers, Steelers and Cardinals.
Wilson’s 2025 season didn’t give him much room to shine, either. He didn’t even reach 400 receiving yards, but that came with Justin Fields at quarterback, and Fields, as the source put it, “was scared to throw the ball.”
Wilson was later shut down after suffering an injury in the middle of the season against the Denver Broncos. The expectation is that he should show his quality again in 2026.
Hall, meanwhile, just got a three-year contract extension and could be headed for his best year yet. The logic is simple: most running backs need decent quarterback play and a strong offensive line to really pop, and Hall has had neither across his first four seasons. The Jets believe Smith and the line should help change that.
Still, this all circles back to Smith. If the version New York gets looks like “Raiders Geno,” the season could go sideways fast and put the team in the mix for Arch Manning with the No. 1 pick. If it’s closer to “Seahawks Geno,” then this offense has enough juice to push toward a .500 record.
The Jets did what they could to improve the quarterback room when the market was thin, but Smith remains the swing factor. Unless he plays like he did in Seattle, Aaron Glenn may not get the step forward he’s looking for - and a No. 1 pick could end up in play.
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Jets Fans Are Already Asking How Real David Bailey Can Be
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Baileys college production is part of why the excitement has come so quickly, and the early conversation around him is less about whether he can help than how fast he can become a difference-maker. For the Jets, a strong rookie season would already change the tone around the defense, but the bigger question is whether Baileys ceiling is high enough to make New Yorks investment look even smarter before the season is over. [Read more 🡒]