The NY Jets have quite a bit of star power on their roster entering the 2024 season. From homegrown stars like Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson to external additions like Aaron Rodgers and Haason Reddick, this is one of the most stacked Jets rosters in recent memory.
It’s a roster that, if healthy, is primed to contend for a Super Bowl in 2024. There are plenty of variables with this Jets team, but if all goes according to plan, there’s no reason the Jets shouldn’t be considered serious contenders in the AFC.
But with such a talented and star-heavy roster, there are ultimately players who go overlooked. The players on this list may not be hot commodities right now, but they have a real chance to exceed expectations next season.
Let’s take a look at five Jets players who could be nice surprises in 2024.
5. Israel Abanikanda, RB, NY Jets
It was an uninspiring rookie season for Israel Abanikanda who spent much of the year as a healthy scratch before receiving a small opportunity late in the season. Unfortunately, he didn’t do much with said opportunity.
Abanikanda finished with just 70 yards on 22 carries for a lowly average of just 3.2 yards per carry, although an inept and injury-riddled Jets offensive line certainly didn’t help matters.
There’s a good chance the Jets add another running back at some point this offseason, but as of now, Abanikanda is currently penciled in as Breece Hall’s primary backup.
Even if the Jets do sign a veteran running back, Abanikanda figures to have a role in the offense in 2024. The speedy Pittsburgh product has the traits to be a productive NFL running back, and with an increased role, he could surprise some folks next season.
4. Will McDonald, DE, NY Jets
Despite the addition of All-Pro pass rusher Haason Reddick, the Jets still seem to have plans for Will McDonald in 2024. The former first-round pick played sparingly as a rookie, playing the fewest offensive or defensive snaps of any first-round pick in the 2023 draft.
McDonald was modestly productive and efficient with his limited snaps, but he remained buried on the depth chart throughout the year. Even after trading for Reddick, the hope is that changes next season.
The Jets saw 2022 first-round pick Jermaine Johnson break out with a Pro Bowl season in 2023 following an unspectacular rookie year. Perhaps McDonald could be primed for a similar leap in his second NFL season.
McDonald likely won’t receive the playing time Johnson did, but he has an opportunity to force his way onto the field, similar to how Bryce Huff did last season. The Jets remain very high on his potential.
3. John Simpson, LG, NY Jets
The Jets revamped their offensive line this offseason, adding three new starters via free agency and the trade market. Tyron Smith is a future first-ballot Hall of Fame left tackle. Morgan Moses has 144 career starts under his belt and was among the better right tackles in football last season.
John Simpson, the team’s third new lineman, doesn’t have the same pedigree. The former Las Vegas Raiders fourth-round pick was waived before the end of his rookie contract and nearly found himself out of the league before revitalizing his career in Baltimore.
Simpson is coming off easily the best season of his NFL career, and still at just 26 years old, the arrow is pointing up. He’ll also have the advantage of playing alongside an All-Pro left tackle and a promising young center.
If Simpson could keep his penalty numbers in check, he has a chance to surprise and outperform his “weak link of the offensive line” expectations. There is still untapped potential here.
2. Allen Lazard, WR, NY Jets
Allen Lazard’s 2023 season was, for all intents and purposes, an unmitigated disaster. Lazard signed a big-money contract with the Jets in the offseason and proceeded to finish as arguably the worst wide receiver in the NFL.
The former Green Bay Packers wideout ranked 153rd out of 153 qualified wide receivers in ESPN’s cumulative analytical rankings. He was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions, with the Jets opting to play numerous undrafted rookies over him.
All of that being said, Lazard is better than what he showed in 2023. He may not be worth the contract the Jets signed him to, but he’s better than what the organization has seen to this point.
The return of Aaron Rodgers should help Lazard in a big way, and he’s currently penciled in as the team’s WR3. That could change between now and the regular season, but Lazard should still have a role in 2024.
And there’s no reason he shouldn’t be significantly better.
1. Tyler Conklin, TE, NY Jets
Tyler Conklin might be the most underrated player on the Jets’ roster. Despite being saddled with abysmal quarterback play, Conklin ranks top-10 among all tight ends in receiving yards over the last two seasons.
Although his numbers might not jump off the stat sheet, Conklin is coming off the best year of his career. The 28-year-old finished with an outstanding drop rate of just 1.6 percent in 2023, the second-lowest among all tight ends with at least 50 targets.
Conklin also recorded the fourth-highest catch rating, per ESPN Analytics, and hauled in just shy of 67 percent of his contested catch attempts, ranking third-best among qualified tight ends.
Conklin is an obvious candidate for positive regression with an improved quarterback situation in 2024. Don’t be surprised if he emerges as a genuine playmaker in the Jets’ offense next season.
