The five Jets to watch this training camp:
This season centers around the 23-year-old quarterback and whether he can make a leap in his third season. The Jets hope he can stay on the field for 16 games, something he has not done yet. The offseason was about getting a better line in front of him and weapons to throw to. We’ll see if their plan worked.
Year 1 with the Jets was a disaster for Bell. He averaged 3.2 yards per carry and did not have a single game with 100 yards rushing or more. The Jets believe they have improved the line, which should help. But Bell also has to recapture some of the burst he was missing last year.
The Jets let Robby Anderson walk in free agency then quickly pounced on Perriman, who has had a disappointing career but finished strong last year. Perriman had 25 catches for 506 yards and five touchdowns in the final five games of the year for the Buccaneers in 2019. The Jets are hoping that is a sign that the 2015 first-round pick has figured things out and not just an anomaly. Perriman has blazing speed and should replace Anderson as the team’s deep threat.
The Jets had not drafted an offensive lineman in the first round since 2006 until taking Becton No. 11 overall in April. The 6-foot-7, 364-pound mountain of a man is being charged with protecting Darnold for the next decade or so. Whenever the Jets take the field, that will be his first professional practice, after having the spring practices wiped out by the pandemic. It is always challenging for rookies to pick things up, and this year it will be even more challenging with no preseason games and limited practices. All eyes will be on Becton.
Last year’s first-round pick had an underwhelming year. He did not play poorly, but he made less impact than one would expect from a player drafted No. 3 overall. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams recently sang Quinnen’s praises and said he expects big things from him this year. Quinnen was disruptive in college. The Jets need to see that from him again, starting in camp.