The Jets are officially in camp, and the first real roster fight of 2026 is already taking shape.
On Tuesday, all 90 players reported to Florham Park. Wednesday brings the first practice of training camp, and from there the Jets will spend the summer sorting out who survives the cut to 53. Before a single battle gets settled on the field, Jets Wire took an early swing at what the final roster could look like.
At quarterback, the projection keeps three names: Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik and Bailey Zappe. Smith is treated as the clear starter, while the real competition sits behind him for the QB2 job.
The backfield stays crowded with five players: Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis, Kene Nwangwu and Andrew Beck. The setup, according to the projection, looks a lot like last season’s group - and that arrangement worked just fine with Hall carrying the load.
Receiver is where things start to get interesting. Jets Wire slots in six wideouts: Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr., AD Mitchell, Arian Smith, Isaiah Williams and Tim Patrick. Cooper is viewed as a possible answer to the team’s long-running No. 2 receiver issue, while Mitchell turned heads in the spring.
Tight end is projected to be a three-man group with Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert. That room, the projection says, is likely to stay intact, with the real story coming once the games begin.
Up front, the offensive line projection includes nine players: Olu Fashanu, Dylan Parham, Josh Myers, Joe Tippmann, Armand Membou, Max Mitchell, Anez Cooper, Landon Young and Xavier Newman. Parham is penciled in as the Alijah Vera-Tucker replacement, and the starting five are described as straightforward, with depth still to be sorted out in camp.
On the edge, the four projected names are Will McDonald, Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare and David Bailey. Ossai showed flashes in camp, while Bailey, as a top rookie, is expected to get on the field too. McDonald is still the lead name in the group.
The defensive tackle group comes in at five: T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs, David Onyemata and Darrell Jackson Jr. Sweat, Phillips and Briggs are viewed as a strong top three.
At linebacker, the projection includes Demario Davis, Jamien Sherwood, Kiko Maugioa, Mykal Walker and Marcelino McCrary-Ball. McCrary-Ball could help on special teams, and the Jets are hoping Davis can help Sherwood bounce back in 2026.
Cornerback is projected to feature six players: Nahshon Wright, Brandon Stephens, Azareye’h Thomas, D’Angelo Ponds, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Qwan’tez Stiggers. The note there is simple: whoever ends up on the field, the Jets need turnovers.
Safety is set at four in this projection with Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dane Belton, Malachi Moore and Andre Cisco. The Jets made major changes in the secondary this offseason, and Fitzpatrick could move around the defense as a wild card, though how much depth is ultimately needed remains to be seen.
Special teams rounds out the projection with three players.
In Other News...
Jets Suddenly Have A Joseph Ossai Concern Before Camp Starts
The Jets made a small but notable camp shuffle before practices begin, activating wide receiver Tim Patrick off the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list while putting edge rusher Joseph Ossai on the same list. It is the kind of roster housekeeping that usually barely registers in late July, except Ossai is expected to matter right away for a defense that needs help setting the edge and holding up against the run.
Ossais role is part of why the move draws a second look. He is supposed to be a key piece in the front, working alongside the teams other pass rushers and handling important run-defense duties, so even a brief delay is worth monitoring. For now, the expectation is that this is a short-term issue, but the Jets will be watching closely as camp opens and the defensive rotation starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Rookies Are Turning Heads While One Young Pick Is Slipping Fast
The Jets are back in training camp for the 2026 season, and a few of their rookies are already making an impression in ways that matter. First-round picks David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. have each flashed enough to stand out early, giving the coaching staff a better look at how quickly this class can contribute. Bailey has shown up around the ball, Sadiq has been active since returning to the field, and Cooper has been getting work in more than one phase of the offense.
Cade Klubnik has brought a different kind of attention to camp. The fourth-round quarterback is in the mix for the backup job, and his first stretch of practices has been uneven enough to keep that competition open. For the Jets, the bigger question is whether the young passer can steady himself while the rest of the rookie group keeps building momentum around him, especially with roster spots and depth-chart roles starting to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Wilson Just Sent A Strong Message About Jets WR Adonai Mitchell
Adonai Mitchell is already drawing attention inside the Jets receiver room, and Garrett Wilsons endorsement only adds to the buzz around what New York might have in him. Mitchell is expected to have a significant role in 2026, and the early conversation is less about whether he fits than how quickly he can carve out a bigger place in the offense.
For a Jets passing game that has been searching for more reliable help around Wilson, Mitchells upside matters. There is real speculation that he could grow into the No. 2 option at wideout, especially with Geno Smiths downfield style potentially opening things up, but for now it is still the kind of projection that has to be earned on the field. [Read more 🡒]