Clear favorite emerges at one of the most important positions on the Jets' offense

The New York Jets are going to have a passing problem in 2025. Coaches, executives, players and media can try and dress it up all they want to, but the fact is that Jets are lacking talent at the quarterback position and at the wide receiver position (just assume any time I say this there is added caveat of “except Garrett Wilson”).

You can tell me that Justin Fields had bad coaches or bad scheme or bad talent around him or bad whatever, but the fact is, he just isn’t that good at running a passing offense. Can he make great throws? Sure. But that doesn’t an NFL QB make.

The other side of that passing coin is the wide receiver position. The Jets saw Davante Adams head West to Hollywood and the Los Angeles Rams (with some dark things to say about his time in New York on his way out) and the Jets have failed to develop a number two starter behind Wilson.

Going into mini camps, one of the most important questions the Jets brass had to answer was what the wide receiver depth chart would look like. And to that end, one player rose to the challenge according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini and separated himself from the pack when it comes to the Jets WR two spot: Josh Reynolds.

After a strong offseason, Reynolds is the clear-cut leader for the WR2 job. He arrived with little fanfare as a free agent (one year, $2.8 million), mainly because of a down 2024 with the Broncos and Jaguars. It also was a turbulent year; he suffered arm and head wounds in a shooting. New Jets coach Aaron Glenn knows Reynolds from their time in Detroit, where the 30-year-old receiver was a solid complementary option. Beyond Garrett Wilson, the Jets lack big-play ability after cutting Davante Adams. Reynolds has separated from Allen Lazard and others. - Rich CImini

 

Good for Reynolds. But this really doesn’t make a difference when it comes to the Jets passing game. Reynolds is the best of the worst. I would have liked someone like Malachi Corley or Xavier Gipson to become the Jets second best option, and there is still time for that. One of them taking the WR2 spot would have proved that the Jets can develop some talent at the wide receiver position, but alas here we are.

Reynolds has never topped 1,000 yards in his career. His biggest year came in 2020, when he had 618, and his highest touchdown output was five in 2023. I don’t expect much him to beat those numbers on this offense, but the Jets are rebuilding (again).

In the end, nothing will surprise me when the Jets start training camp in a few weeks. Maybe Reynolds will hold on to the WR2 spot and maybe someone will make the leap. Either way, I hope whoever they start can run block.