The Jets got a better-than-expected look at their backup offensive line in Friday night’s preseason opener, but the bigger picture at the position still looks shaky.
That’s the tension for New York right now: the reserves showed some real pop in the run game, yet the pass protection issues were still hard to ignore. And for a unit that was already viewed as a major concern entering the preseason, one solid night doesn’t really move the needle.
Anez Cooper was the brightest spot. The sixth-round rookie turned in one of the NFL’s best guard performances in Week 1 of the preseason, posting an 89.5 run-blocking grade and an 85.2 pass-blocking grade over 28 snaps.
Here’s how the rest of the backup offensive line graded out from Pro Football Focus on Friday night:
Anez Cooper, G, 28 snaps: 89.5 run-blocking, 85.2 pass-blocking
Kohl Levao, G, 21 snaps: 87.7 run-blocking, 7.6 pass-blocking
Landon Young, T, 28 snaps: 86.2 run-blocking, 42.9 pass-blocking
Xavier Newman, G, 21 snaps: 80.4 run-blocking, 33.3 pass-blocking
Chukwuma Okorafor, T, 21 snaps: 79.2 run-blocking, 80.7 pass-blocking
Marquis Hayes, G, 21 snaps: 71.7 run-blocking, 83.8 pass-blocking
Liam Fornadel, G, 28 snaps: 62.2 run-blocking, 81.3 pass-blocking
Xavier Hill, G, 28 snaps: 61.4 run-blocking, 77.3 pass-blocking
Courtland Ford, T, 28 snaps: 60.6 run-blocking, 32.6 pass-blocking
Levao was especially striking. His 87.7 run-blocking grade ranked seventh among 102 qualified guards in the opening week of the preseason, but his 7.6 pass-blocking mark was one of the worst in the group, finishing 101st. He gave up a sack and two hurries.
Levao, Young, and Newman all looked strong as run blockers, but the picture changed once the Jets asked them to protect the quarterback. Newman’s struggles are the most worrisome because he is projected to be the team’s backup center.
Okorafor, the Jets’ most proven reserve and a player with 60 career starts at right tackle, posted the most complete performance among the backups. That was a welcome sign for Armand Membou’s backup.
Hayes also put together a steady night and finished as the Jets’ second-highest-graded pass-blocker among the reserves with an 83.8 mark.
Even with those positives, the overall takeaway didn’t change much. The backup group still looks uneven, and that’s why the front office should be looking to add at least one, and possibly two, more established linemen around cutdown day.
That need is amplified by the lack of proven starting experience behind the first unit. Outside of Okorafor, the Jets don’t have a backup with much of a resume, and if one of their three interior starters gets hurt, the replacement options become a real problem.
In that kind of scenario, the team would likely have to move pieces around just to make the lineup work, while still relying on an untested reserve.
There’s still time for that to change. Solid veteran backups often become available around cutdown day, and the Jets can continue evaluating their depth over the final two preseason games before making a move.
But if the organization truly felt the urgency to upgrade the spot, it would have attacked the issue more aggressively already through free agency, trades, or the draft.
New York did draft Cooper, and that’s a useful start. Still, it would not be ideal for a sixth-round rookie to be forced into a starting role this season.
The bigger truth is simple: the Jets can’t count on all five starters staying healthy for 17 games again. If they want to protect themselves from the inevitable injuries that come in a season, they need better answers behind the starting five.
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