This article is part of our Team Previews series.
New York Jets 
The Jets offense is set for takeoff after an offseason overhaul. The franchise hired head coach Robert Saleh and OC Mike LaFleur before drafting quarterback Zach Wilson second overall. Wilson's play will define the unit's ceiling, but he's already surrounded by more talent than Sam Darnold ever was.
Offseason Moves
Key Acquisitions
- Zach Wilson – QB (Rd. 1, No. 2 – BYU)
New face of the franchise who will likely start right away.
- Corey Davis – WR (from Titans)
Should be New York's top outside threat coming off a 984-yard season.
- Elijah Moore – WR (Rd. 2, No. 34 – Ole Miss)
Big-play machine with elite speed can make an impact out of the slot.
- Michael Carter – RB (Rd. 4, No. 107 – North Carolina)
Averaged 8.0 YPC as a senior and will compete for a starting role.
- Tevin Coleman – RB (from 49ers)
Seventh-year pro who's familiar with coordinator Mike LaFleur.
Key Losses
- Sam Darnold – QB (to Panthers)
Failed to develop in three years and traded after 2020's 9:11 TD:INT.
- Frank Gore – RB (FA)
Led the team with 653 rushing yards last season at age 37.
- Breshad Perriman – WR (to Lions)
Inconsistent deep threat who wasn't re-signed after a 505-yard effort
A Look Under the Hood
Head Coach: Robert Saleh (Year 1)
Offensive Coordinator: Mike LaFleur (Year 1) - West Coast (wide/outside zone)
Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Ulbrich (Year 1) - 4-3 scheme
2021 Vegas Projected Wins: 6 (T-29th)
2020 Record: 2-14
2020 Points Scored: 243 (32nd)
2020 Points Allowed: 457 (26th)
2020 Point Differential: -214 (32nd)
2020 Run-Play Rate: 42.8 percent (13th)
2020 Offensive Snaps: 948 (31st)
2020 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 29
Projected 2021 Depth Chart
QB: Zach Wilson / James Morgan
RB: Tevin Coleman / Michael Carter / Ty Johnson / La'Mical Perine
WR1: Corey Davis
WR2: Jamison Crowder / Elijah Moore / Braxton Berrios
WR3: Keelan Cole / Denzel Mims
TE: Chris Herndon / Tyler Kroft / Ryan Griffin
O-Line: LT Mekhi Becton / LG Alijah Vera-Tucker / C Connor McGovern / RG Greg Van Roten / RT Morgan Moses (RotoWire Rank: No. 24)
Kicker: Chris Naggar / Matt Ammendola
Top Storylines
The Zach Wilson Era Begins
The Sam Darnold era has come to an unceremonious end in New York, as the Jets shipped the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to Carolina for a package headlined by a second-rounder. For all the fanfare he received when he was drafted out of USC, this year's second overall choice Zach Wilson is a far superior prospect.
Trevor Lawrence had been a lock to go first in the 2021 draft since his freshman year, but Wilson separated himself from the remainder of a deep and talented quarterback class with 3,692 yards and a 33:3 TD:INT over a brilliant 12-game junior campaign at BYU. Compared by some to Patrick Mahomes due to their similarities in playing style, Wilson has arm strength and athleticism that allow him to accurately push the ball downfield from the pocket or create highlight-reel material with improvised on-the-run throws that most quarterbacks wouldn't even think of attempting.
Mahomes is on a first-ballot Hall of Fame career track and benefits from playing in a weapon-filled offense under Andy Reid, while Wilson is an unproven rookie joining a team that went 2-14 last year, so the comparison stops there until further notice. Still, Wilson's long-term ceiling is immense, and the Jets' commitment to adding offense in the draft and free agency should put him in position to showcase his skills from Day 1.
Stocking the Cupboard for Wilson
GM Joe Douglas is making sure not to tread in predecessor Mike Maccagnan's footsteps. While the league has been zigging in an offense-first direction for years, Maccagnan zagged the Jets right into last place by taking just four skill-position players among the team's 14 picks in the first three rounds over his five drafts. Specifically, Sam Darnold, two wide receiver busts and second-round blunder Christian Hackenberg.
Conversely, Douglas has drafted a first-round offensive lineman and second-round wide receiver in both of his drafts with the Jets, in addition to nabbing Zach Wilson with the first of this year's two first-rounders. Part of Maccagnan's downfall was his inability to hit on the few offensive picks he made, and the jury's still out on Douglas in that department.
At least Wilson won't lack weapons in what will be the most promising version of the Jets offense since Ryan Fitzpatrick was slinging it to Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Wilson also should get the protection he needs from a revamped offensive line to spread the ball out to a receiving corps that includes Jamison Crowder, free-agent acquisitions Corey Davis and Keelan Cole, as well as second-rounders from the last two years in Denzel Mims and Elijah Moore. Unlike Darnold, if Wilson fails, it will be due to his own shortcomings rather than the personnel around him.
Who Will Lead the Backfield?
New York's running game is set up for dramatic improvement, but which back will be the biggest beneficiary is much less clear. The short answer is, multiple players. Coach Robert Saleh brought Mike LaFleur with him from San Francisco to run the offense, and LaFleur is expected to implement a system similar to the one the 49ers found success with over the past few years.
The Jets have the pieces to replicate that model, as 2021 first-rounder Alijah Vera-Tucker projects to line up at guard alongside 2019 first-round tackle Mekhi Becton to form a formidable left side of the offensive line. Moreover, the team upgraded at running back after ex-coach Adam Gase was content watching veteran Frank Gore fall forward for two yards ad nauseam.
Ty Johnson flashed potential in 2020 and is a fit for LaFleur's one-cut running scheme. He's in a neck-and-neck battle with Tevin Coleman – who followed Saleh and LaFleur over from the 49ers – to be the Week 1 starter, but don't sleep on rookie Michael Carter.
While 2020 fourth-rounder La'Mical Perine disappointed in his first season, Carter is a more exciting prospect who led the NCAA with 29 runs of 20-plus yards over the past two years. Carter has the group's highest ceiling but lacks the size (5-8, 201) to handle a workhorse role, so the dreaded committee approach likely is in the cards.
Barometer
⬆️ Rising: RB Ty Johnson
Johnson remains in contention for the starting role in an improved rushing attack, and his lack of name recognition could make the explosive runner a draft-day steal if he can hold off the competition for touches.
⬇️ Falling: RB La'Mical Perine
Perine averaged just 3.6 yards per carry as a rookie and lacks explosiveness compared to his peers in a crowded backfield. At this stage, the 23-year-old is far from guaranteed to secure a roster spot.
😴 Sleeper: TE Chris Herndon
A classic post-hype sleeper candidate, Herndon floundered for most of last season but finished strong with 14 catches and two touchdowns in the last three weeks. He remains the team's unquestioned starter at tight end.
🌟 Pivotal Player: Jamison Crowder
Crowder has been the Jets' leading receiver for two years running, totaling 1,532 yards in 28 games with the team. The slot standout will have a different coaching staff and signal-caller around him as well as increased competition for targets, but Crowder will look to maintain a role in a new-look offense.
Medical Tent
After what was by all accounts a strong training camp in 2020, Perine's rookie season was derailed by injuries, as he hurt his ankle twice and finished the season on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The good news is that the running back is fully healthy now, but the bad news is Perine will have to work his way up the depth chart after failing to carve out a prominent role last year.
WR Denzel Mims
Mims was concussed in last year's season finale, which was a fitting ending to an injury-plagued rookie campaign in which the second-round pick from Baylor was limited to nine games by hamstring issues. If he can put the injuries behind him, Mims should emerge as the Jets' top deep threat, though he'll need to earn playing time after New York bolstered its receiving corps by adding Corey Davis, Keelan Cole and Elijah Moore this offseason.
Williams ended a breakout sophomore season on a sour note, as a neck injury and concussion sidelined him for the final two games of 2020. He has since recovered from those injuries but then broke a bone in his foot in early May, leading to a surgery with an expected recovery time of 10-12 weeks. While he kicked off training camp on the PUP list, Williams should be all systems go by the start of the season, barring any setbacks.
Job Battle
The Jets' running back situation is wide open, but it's likely to end up in a committee of some sort, while the competition for wide receiver snaps in a passing game that has nowhere to go but up could yield some high-flying performers. Offseason addition Corey Davis is locked into a starting role on the outside, but the other outside spot and snaps in the slot remain up for grabs.
In the slot, incumbent Jamison Crowder led the Jets with 699 receiving yards last season and figures to remain effective when he plays, but rookie second-round pick Elijah Moore has been turning heads at camp and could siphon more and more of Crowder's playing time as the season unfolds. The 5-10, 185-pound Moore fits best in the slot but could also see some usage on the outside, especially if the team wants to keep Crowder on the field.
Denzel Mims is the Jets' biggest downfield threat, and the spot opposite Davis is his to lose, but if the 2020 second-round pick fails to show much progress following an injury-riddled rookie season, free-agent pickup Keelan Cole can provide a reliable stopgap until Mims develops. How the Jets use Moore in the preseason should help reveal how the dominoes will fall elsewhere, and if early reports are to be believed, the Ole Miss product could quickly become the top target for fellow rookie Zach Wilson, surpassing even Davis.
