There was plenty to like about the New York Jets’ 17-0 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night, but the game also left a few players with their stock headed in the wrong direction.
Some Jets made the most of the moment. Others did not. And for a handful of players trying to carve out roles, this was the kind of night that can quietly change the conversation around a roster spot.
Malachi Moore was one of the clearest examples.
The sophomore safety had a rough outing while two of the players competing with him in the room, Andre Cisco and Dane Belton, both made stronger cases. Moore was on the field for 24 total snaps and 16 coverage reps, and both passes thrown his way were completed for 24 yards.
He also spent deep stretches of the game with the Jets’ third- and fourth-team defenses, which says plenty about where he stands right now. That was the second straight game in which that happened.
Moore had looked better down the stretch last season, but that raised the obvious question: was that production helped along by the environment around him, specifically a secondary that wasn’t very good? So far this summer, he hasn’t done much to quiet that concern. Belton has flashed consistently, and Cisco delivered the kind of night Moore needed, picking off a pass and earning a team-high 94.0 defensive grade at Pro Football Focus.
This is the second straight week Moore has landed on the wrong side of this discussion, and the uncertainty around him is real. It might sound strange for a fourth-round pick from last year who started 14 games, but his roster spot is at least worth asking about after the way he’s been used with the third- and fourth-team defenses.
His situation may even depend on seventh-round rookie safety VJ Payne. If Payne is healthy and ready for Week 1, Moore could be the odd man out.
If Payne starts the season on short-term injured reserve, that might keep Moore around.
Isaiah Williams also took a step back after fans spent last week wondering whether he had climbed past first-round rookie Omar Cooper Jr. on the depth chart. Friday night told a different story. Cooper opened with the first-team reps and was removed after Geno Smith and the starters left following the first possession, while Williams worked with the second-team offense and Cade Klubnik.
Williams finished with three catches on four targets for 24 yards, but the line came with a fumble that the Jets recovered and one play that was just short of a drop. On third down near the sideline, with Klubnik scrambling to extend the play, the ball slipped through Williams’ hands as he laid out for it. A catch there would have kept the drive alive instead of forcing a punt.
That wasn’t the kind of night Williams needed, especially with Cooper working ahead of him to start the game. Still, the Jets don’t need Williams to be a featured receiver for this to make sense.
His value has always been tied to his return ability, and that remains his best path to helping the team. If he can be a WR5, that’s a win.
Anything beyond that would be asking a lot.
He has speed, and that keeps things interesting, but he has not established himself as a WR1, WR2, or WR3. Maybe he profiles as a low-end WR4, but the better fit appears to be the No. 5 role behind Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, Cooper, and Tim Patrick. Williams has 39 career receptions, including 36 with the Jets last season, and Friday was another reminder that expectations for him as a receiver should stay in check.
Arian Smith’s preseason has been even tougher to ignore. After a rough opener, he didn’t do much to change the story against Pittsburgh.
He stayed in the game well into the fourth quarter with the Jets’ third- and fourth-teamers and wasn’t targeted at all on offense. On special teams, where his clearest route to the roster has been, he played four snaps and drew an illegal block in the back penalty on a punt return.
That area has been central to Smith’s case. The Jets value special teams, and Chris Banjo has spoken highly of Smith’s growth as a gunner.
But Dane Belton has also shown he can help there, with two tackles on punt coverage, including one for no gain, and he was effective in that role with the New York Giants last season. If Belton and Kene Nwangwu are the Jets’ gunners, Smith’s lane gets narrow fast.
Nwangwu should make the team for his return work, while Belton likely holds down the safety No. 2 job.
That leaves Smith in a tough spot. If two other players can handle the same special-teams work and contribute in bigger ways elsewhere, there may not be much reason to keep him just for that role.
Undrafted rookies Malik McClain and Quincy Skinner Jr. have also been outplaying him on offense, which only adds to the pressure. Unless Smith puts together a huge performance in the preseason finale, his path to the final roster is starting to fade.
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