No Jets rookie has played in every game this season, except for fiddler Braden Mann. Five have spent time on the injured reserve, one on the reserve / non-football injury list and one will end the season on the reserve / COVID-19 list.
Nothing about their first season in the NFL was normal, from a virtual off-season to playing in empty stadiums to a trailer to name their locker room.
But Joe Douglas may have something to work with. The Jets general manager’s first draft class showed signs of promise during Sunday’s finals against the Patriots, which offers hope that it can provide the basis for a turnaround in the years to come.
“This is something we’ll definitely want to do,” Newcomer Bryce Hall said Friday. “We still have a long way to go before we can say it comfortably, but that’s something this young group of guys are proud of – just being able to be part of change and have a positive impact on this organization.”
The Jets season ends in Week 17 for the tenth consecutive year and with that, there will be an off-season full of change – starting with an expected change at the head coach, a lot of uncertainty at the quarterback and another turnaround in the roster. But while the Jets rookies have not won much this year, coach Adam Gase believes they have benefited from learning from the veterans and seeing how they handle a difficult season.
“I feel like our young players got better because they understood all the time how to practice,” Gase said. ‘They understand how to show up and be ready for a game day, and if they get their chances, they need to make the most of it. I think there are a lot of young guys who got a lot of valuable playing time this year, but I also think they got a lot of valuable practice time.
‘I’ve been to teams before where things are not going well and guys miss the opportunities to get better because they’re like,’ Oh, this season is a waste and I’m not getting anything out of it. “If guys understand this notion, ‘Hey, I’m getting better because of this individual player,’ it’s great. It’s so beneficial for a young player because you only get so many blows for this thing, you only get so many reps. Every rep is so valuable to all these guys, especially rookies, especially no off-season, no real training camp, no pre-season games. Everything we do is critical to the development of these guys. ”
Hall, a fifth-round pick to play every turn of the past five games after returning from a serious ankle injury in Virginia, is one of the nine rookies Douglas drafted in April. Seven of them played this season, with Hall, left tackle Mekhi Becton and wide receiver Denzel Mims all starting and Mann getting a lot of action.
Safety Ashtyn Davis (foot) and La’Mical Perine (COVID-19) have already played their last game of the season and Jabari Zuniga defended to get a playing time after being put back in training camp by a four-man squad. But the Jets may have pieces to build on from their draft class in 2020 on a key off-season – one that may feel even closer to normal.
“This experience has allowed us to really get closer and I feel it has helped us to be able to contribute, and a lot of young guys have done that,” Hall said.
‘I feel that the biggest jumps usually take place from first to second year. … So it is very exciting to really attack, now know what to expect and prepare accordingly. ”