Breece Hall’s groin injury has opened the door for Kene Nwangwu at just the right moment for the Jets.
Hall is expected to miss the rest of the preseason, which means more work in the backfield for the 28-year-old Nwangwu. Isaiah Davis is still sidelined with a knee injury and also appears unlikely to be ready before the Sept. 13 opener against the Titans, so the workload has shifted to Nwangwu and Braelon Allen.
That duo has spent the summer making the most of the opportunity, and all signs point to both getting meaningful snaps against the Steelers on Friday night. Nwangwu, in particular, is worth watching closely.
The Jets brought him in as a veteran running back, but his NFL resume has been built more on special teams than on offense. A 2021 fourth-round pick of the Vikings, Nwangwu has rushed for 137 yards on 40 carries across five seasons, with 49 of those yards coming last year on 13 attempts.
His real calling card is his return work. Nwangwu has five kick return touchdowns, including three from 99 yards, and he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2022.
That production stands in sharp contrast to the pre-draft projection he received from NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein. Before the 2021 draft, Zierlein pegged him as a seventh-rounder and doubted he’d even stick on a roster because of "underdeveloped aspects,” including what he viewed as an unnatural running style.
“Nwangwu has open-field speed to hit a crease and go, but he’s often indecisive with the ball in his hands as he lacks a runner’s instincts and fails to anticipate run-lane development,” Zierlein wrote.
Nwangwu ended up going well beyond that forecast and has now played 51 games while building a reputation as a dependable return specialist. The question now is whether any of that success carries over when he’s asked to do more as a runner.
That’s the difference with some players: elite return ability doesn’t automatically translate to offensive production. A standout kick returner can be exactly that - a standout kick returner - without necessarily becoming the kind of player who can make hay on offense. The Jets are also wanting to use running backs more in the passing game.
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