When Justin Fields and the Jets take on the New York Giants this Saturday night, it will be the biggest test the Jets quarterback has faced thus far.  Preseason game or not, you can expect the Giants defense to turn up the heat on their MetLife Stadium co-tenants.

And as we saw during joint practices between the two teams earlier this week, the Giants have the firepower up front to force Fields to operate on an accelerated clock.  This, of course, will test what is viewed as his biggest weakness in how quickly he processes what he’s seeing.

A big day from Fields will go a long way in building the confidence of the quarterback and how good Jets fans feel about him being under center.

Some other names to watch against Big Blue?

RB Donovan Edwards: Edwards had a big game last week and will look to build on that in week two of the preseason.  Consecutive big performances will undoubtedly put him on the radar of any other teams in search of a running back.

WR Quentin Skinner: Skinner only had one catchable target last week and we saw the 6′ 5” Kansas product elevate over a defender to haul in the pass.  If Skinner can play well enough to make the roster, it could put the Jets one step closer to dealing Allen Lazard who is one of the team’s few big men at receiver.

OT Chukwuma Okorafor: The Jets are hurting for depth at offensive tackle.  Max Mitchell and Carter Warren didn’t do nearly enough to alleviate concerns about the teams depth.  Okorafor has a chance to win himself the swing tackle job.

With New York Jets training camp less than 48 hours away, there should be no shortage of competition up and down the depth chart.\xa0 So why not take a look and make some of our best guesses as to who will come out on top in these battles.

QB3 Adrian Martinez vs Brady Cook:

The Jets top two spots on the QB depth chart are set with Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor.\xa0 We don’t know if the Jets will carry three QB’s on the active roster, but they’ll certainly have somebody on the practice squad as their third QB.

Cook is a rookie UDFA at of Missouri who historically, has done a better job of protecting the football than Martinez.\xa0 Both QB’s can run and Martinez has an edge with pro experience via the UFL and last season with the Jets.

Projected winner: Assuming Cook picks up the play book, we’re going to go with the guy who throws far fewer interceptions.\xa0 That doesn’t mean Martinez (or somebody added at a later date) can’t win the spot if Aaron Glenn goes with experience over potential.

Let's talk about Brady Cook.

– Big time competition in SEC
– Lots of experience (47 games, 1,100+ pass attempts)
– 50 TD/15 INT's
– Good runner
– Anticipates well
– Respected leader
– Will make some great tight window throws

Not a bad option for the @nyjets on day 3. pic.twitter.com/xzDxgVNHUJ

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) February 21, 2025

RB3 Isaiah Davis vs Donovan Edwards:

Breece Hall and Braelon Allen will be RB1 and RB2.\xa0 Many seem to be anointing Davis as the team’s RB3 but for those familiar with Edwards’ game, it would be wise not to write him off.\xa0 Expect Aaron Glenn to place a ton of value in his backs being able to pick up the blitz where we believe Edwards was superior in college.

Projected winner:\xa0If both guys are given a fair shake, Edwards can win this thing.\xa0 If the competition is tilted toward Davis who played well as a rookie, he gets the job.

WR2, Josh Reynolds vs Allen Lazard:\xa0

The Jets wide receiver depth chart it littered with questions beyond Garrett Wilson at WR1.\xa0 At the second spot it’ll be Reynolds vs Lazard who was playing well last season before getting injured.\xa0 Both are big targets who are comfortable blocking in the run game.

Only Lazard has been a regular starter but Reynolds has shown better hands when given a chance to show what he can do.\xa0 And of course Reynolds has some history with Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn.

Projected winner:\xa0Don’t be surprised if the Jets end up dealing Lazard at some point this season but whether he stays or goes, we think Reynolds beats him out for the WR2 spot.

Josh Reynolds career:

18 drops on 411 targets with a 6.7% drop rate

Allen Lazard career:

30 drops on 380 targets for an 11.1% drop rate

The battle for WR2 is a big one for the @nyjets. Given his more reliable hands and ability to block, I'd give Reynolds the edge. pic.twitter.com/tYtntjqFEF

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) June 12, 2025

WR3, Malachi Corley vs Xavier Gipson:

There has been plenty of discussion about whether or not Corley’s disappointing rookie season had more to do with his level of talent or the Jets’ failed coaching staff.\xa0 On film he’s the far superior player to Gipson and more physical as a blocker which will be big for Glenn.

Projected Winner:\xa0Malachi Corley

TE2: Jeremy Ruckert vs Stone Smartt vs Zack Kuntz

We fully expect rookie Mason Taylor to win the starting job out of camp with the other three tight ends competing for the second tight end spot.\xa0 Ruckert has been a colossal disappointment since being drafted out of Ohio State and is likely down to his final chance to show he belongs.\xa0 Kuntz is of course an athletic freak who, while entering year three, will also be expected to finally show something.

Projected winner:\xa0Jeremy Ruckert edges out the competition with Fields as his trigger man while also being the best blocker in the group despite a down season in that area last season.

Jets GM Darren Mougey is faced with a problem that few of is predecessors have had to consider in recent years.\xa0 Perhaps even decades?\xa0 He’s taking over a team with a plethora of players worthy of big money in the near, and likely distant future.

This offseason we’ve seen Mougey re-sign linebacker Jamien Sherwood before he extended Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner over the past couple of days.\xa0 So where should Mougey set his sights next?\xa0 We take a look at who should be among his top priorities.

LB Quincy Williams:\xa0A new deal for Williams now feels unlikely, but the Jets would be wise to get a deal done.\xa0 With a new, more aggressive defensive scheme, Williams could have a breakout season in terms of getting to the quarterback.\xa0 If that were to happen, his price tag will skyrocket.

OG John Simpson:\xa0Simpson was a revelation at left guard for the Jets last season.\xa0 Arguably their best offensive lineman, he was a beast in the trenches and only inked a 2-year deal.\xa0 If he repeats his 2024 performance this season, he’ll be one of the NFL’s top paid guards this time next year.

OG Alijah Vera-Tucker:\xa0A popular choice among Jets fans for the guy Mougey should extend next, the Jets will likely want to see another season out of Vera-Tucker in which he misses little to no time before handing him the bag.\xa0 If he misses little to no time this year, look for AVT to get paid huge money.

DE Jermaine Johnson:\xa0While Johnson’s injury last season was a huge loss for the team, it works in their favor this offseason.\xa0 Had he played and continued trending upward, a double-digit sack season would not have been out of the question.\xa0 Had that happened, they would have a third first-round pick looking for a huge deal along with Wilson and Gardner.\xa0 A big season this year should mean Johnson gets his money in the end.

RB Breece Hall:\xa0Not only is Hall unlikely to see a new deal very soon, but he may not ever see one with the Jets.\xa0 Barring an absolute monster season, the Jets aren’t likely to dole out a ton of money for a back with Hall’s track record.

DE Will McDonald:\xa0No, McDonald won’t be next in line as he’s just now entering year three, but the Jets had better be planning to make room for him in the budget heading to next offseason.\xa0 If McDonald logs another double-digit sack season and improves against the run, it’ll mean another young star looking for $20+ million per year.

C Joe Tippmann:\xa0Ditto Tippmann on the timing of a new deal.\xa0 It won’t happen this offseason, but Tippmann is an ascending young player at a key position.\xa0 If he takes another step forward in his development this year, he’ll be in line for a nice pay raise sooner rather than later.

Jets GM Darren Mougey is faced with a problem that few of is predecessors have had to consider in recent years.  Perhaps even decades?  He’s taking over a team with a plethora of players worthy of big money in the near, and likely distant future.

This offseason we’ve seen Mougey re-sign linebacker Jamien Sherwood before he extended Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner over the past couple of days.  So where should Mougey set his sights next?  We take a look at who should be among his top priorities.

LB Quincy Williams: A new deal for Williams now feels unlikely, but the Jets would be wise to get a deal done.  With a new, more aggressive defensive scheme, Williams could have a breakout season in terms of getting to the quarterback.  If that were to happen, his price tag will skyrocket.

OG John Simpson: Simpson was a revelation at left guard for the Jets last season.  Arguably their best offensive lineman, he was a beast in the trenches and only inked a 2-year deal.  If he repeats his 2024 performance this season, he’ll be one of the NFL’s top paid guards this time next year.

OG Alijah Vera-Tucker: A popular choice among Jets fans for the guy Mougey should extend next, the Jets will likely want to see another season out of Vera-Tucker in which he misses little to no time before handing him the bag.  If he misses little to no time this year, look for AVT to get paid huge money.

DE Jermaine Johnson: While Johnson’s injury last season was a huge loss for the team, it works in their favor this offseason.  Had he played and continued trending upward, a double-digit sack season would not have been out of the question.  Had that happened, they would have a third first-round pick looking for a huge deal along with Wilson and Gardner.  A big season this year should mean Johnson gets his money in the end.

RB Breece Hall: Not only is Hall unlikely to see a new deal very soon, but he may not ever see one with the Jets.  Barring an absolute monster season, the Jets aren’t likely to dole out a ton of money for a back with Hall’s track record.

DE Will McDonald: No, McDonald won’t be next in line as he’s just now entering year three, but the Jets had better be planning to make room for him in the budget heading to next offseason.  If McDonald logs another double-digit sack season and improves against the run, it’ll mean another young star looking for $20+ million per year.

C Joe Tippmann: Ditto Tippmann on the timing of a new deal.  It won’t happen this offseason, but Tippmann is an ascending young player at a key position.  If he takes another step forward in his development this year, he’ll be in line for a nice pay raise sooner rather than later.

For those who had a chance to watch Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells the same way Aaron Glenn did as a player, you’ll recall the Big Tuna’s unique methods of motivating his players.  And now it seems Glenn took a page out of the Parcells playbook.

Parcells was a master of using the media to deliver what may have been a somewhat uncomfortable message to one of his players.  This isn’t to say Parcells wouldn’t deliver that same message directly to a given player, but he would often use the media to apply a bit more pressure.

The head coach was always happy to say a player hadn’t looked great in practice, might not be ready for a big time opponent, or even calling out their toughness by referring to them as “she”.  While Aaron Glenn may not have taken in that far with second-year receiver Malachi Corley, he did use the press to sweat Corley a little bit.

With Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich employed elsewhere, there are not more “attaboys” just for showing up to work.  No talk of how great everyone on the roster is and how much everyone in the building loves them.

Asked about Corley’s future after a disappointing rookie campaign, Glenn said that at this point, Corley is a guy who has some catching up to do after missing portions of camp this offseason before adding that he’ll get work as a gadget guy.  Perhaps even as a special teamer to return kicks or punts.

This isn’t to say those tasks are beneath Corley, but surely he expected bigger things by year two.  But after a rookie season that saw him catch just 3 passes for sixteen yards, it’s essentially back to the drawing board and Glenn, like Parcells, had no issue sending that message to Corley.

With NFL training camps just around the corner, the folks at PFF, the Pushing the Pile podcast and yes us, JetNation.com, have taken the time to rank Justin Fields and the NFL’s other 31 quarterbacks.  Where does Fields fall on each list?  Are the ratings all in the same ballpark, or is there a wild outlier?

Take a look.

We’ll start with a look at where PFF ranked Fields and it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Fields checks in at 28th, ironically behind Russell Wilson at 27.  Wilson, of course took Fields’ starting job last season after the former Ohio State product got off to a 4-2 start.

The quarterbacks Fields was rated ahead of according to PFF?  Joe Flacco (Clevelan), Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis), Mason Rudolph (Pre-Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh) and Saints rookie Tyler Shough.

Former Philadelphia Eagle Kyle Long and analyst Mike Renner did their own rankings on their podcast but used a tiered approach rather than listing every QB from 1-32.  With seven different tiers, Fields landed in the fifth tier along with Sam Darnold and, you guessed it…Russell Wilson.

We’re not quite sure how they placed Darnold and his 35 touchdown passes in the same group as Fields, but it is what it is.

Then of course JetNation had to chime in with their own rankings and place Justin Fields 25th of 32 behind Drake Maye, Bryce Young and Michael Penix.

Given the offensive line Gang Green has placed around him, this may be Fields’ best shot yet to crack the top twenty and (hopefully) beyond.

As Jets fans know by now, GM Darren Mougey is going to have quite a bit of work to do when it comes to young superstars Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson.  The pair are in line for new contracts and the GM hopes to get both locked up for the long-term.

In Gardner, the Jets have a two-time All-Pro coming off of what would be considered a “down” year for him, which would be a great year for most other corners.  He allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete just 53% of their passes and gave up just one touchdown through the air.

Even with his worst year as a pro behind him, the folks at PFF still view him as the best cover cornerback in the NFL.

Garrett Wilson meanwhile, has produced at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first three seasons despite dreadful quarterback play, and has his sights set on a big 2025 with his former college quarterback in the huddle in Justin Fields.

Looking at how things just transpired between the Cincinnati Bengals and Ja’Marr Chase, Wilson may benefit from pushing a new deal into next offseason with receiver salaries skyrocketing on an annual basis at this point.

In addition to having to figure out what to do with Gardner, Mougey is going to a have to decide what to do with the likes of Qwan’tez Stiggers and Jarrick Bernard-Converse.  Two talented young cornerbacks who will be pushed down the depth chart with the arrival of Brandon Stephens and Azareye’h Thomas.  Does he continue to sit them for the next couple of seasons, or look to deal one (or both) for a pick if they shine in the preseason?

Stop us if you’ve heard this before (actually, don’t), but we believe Jets running back Breece Hall is primed for a breakout season in 2025.  Yes, we know it’s been said in each of the past two seasons with Hall coming up short, but just hear us out.

When Hall exploded onto the scene as a rookie in 2022, he was averaging a lofty 5.8 yards per carry through seven games before he landed on season-ending IR after suffering a torn ACL.  Any hopes of a potential offensive rookie of the year award or pro bowl recognition went out the window.

Then it was on to 2023 when expectations for the Jets offense as a whole may have been at an all-time high.  With Aaron Rodgers coming over from the Packers, defenses were no longer going to be able to stack the box.

The Jets would have a signal caller who would commanded respect and force defenses to back off and create running room for Hall.  But we all know how that ended.  Rodgers landed on IR before finishing his first series.  Then a bevy of injures had Hall running behind a porous O-line on top of having poor quarterback play with Zach Wilson under center.

CBS Broadcast: "Breece Hall isn't a 4.4 guy but he's deceptively fast at 220"

Hall ran a 4.39 pre-draft. pic.twitter.com/UnZ1CqwKZK

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) October 8, 2023

The Rodgers deal would go down as arguably the worst trade in team history, and Hall’s production was solid, but far from spectacular.  He would log 997 yards on the ground with a 4.5 yard per carry average.

Looking back at Hall’s lack of production in 2024 is attributed by many to Hall himself, but in looking at his production following the removal of Nate Hackett as the team’s play caller shows it was lack of chances.

With Hackett calling the plays from weeks 1-5, Hall managed just 197 yards on 65 carries.  That adding up to just 3 yards per carry.  Following Hackett’s removal, that changed significantly.  Hall would average at least 4.5 yards per carry in eight of his final 11 games and 4.8 yards per carry in six of those.

In total, over that eight game stretch, Breece Hall saw his average go from 3.0 per carry in weeks 1-5, to a more robust 4.7 yards per carry as he racked up 679 yards on 144 carries.

Now with Olu Fashanu slated to play a full season at left tackle where Tyron Smith faltered last season, and rookie first rounder Armand Membou slated to take over at right tackle, things are lining up well for Hall.

While his starting quarterback can only be viewed as a very talented player with questionable production as a passer at this point in Justin Fields, it’s the QB’s ability as one of the most electric runners in the NFL that may help Hall.

Expect offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand to dial up plenty of designed quarterback runs and RPOs to keep defenses on their toes and hopefully give Hall the room he needs to finally break out.

On day two of their mandatory minicamp at 1 Jets Drive, there were a few performances worth noting at key spots.

First and foremost, quarterback Justin Fields managed to connect on yet another deep ball with Garrett Wilson.  The chemistry with his former college teammate is obvious, but who will emerge as the team’s number two receiver?

Spent the past couple of hours taking a much closer look at Josh Reynolds' career ups and downs and I'm feeling much better about him than before.

Not to say he's going to set the world on fire, but there is some reason for optimism with him as the @nyjets WR2. pic.twitter.com/qeySmflPOs

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) May 16, 2025

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn met with the media following day one of the team’s mandatory minicamp and he had plenty of praise for several players for a variety of reasons.

Most importantly, Glenn was pleased to have all players in attendance for day 1 of camp.  With young star players Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner eligible for new contracts, there were those who wondered if a holdout may be coming.  When all was said and done, the pair showed up with every other player on the 90-man roster.  Wilson let his feelings known just a few weeks ago about his desire to hang around.

Glenn kicked off by explaining his key areas of focus at this point in the offseason and said this time is all about details.   The head coach wants to see that players are taking what they’ve been given from the start of the off-season program to now and how they’re executing.

More specifically, he said his number one focus on offense is to make sure the group is running more efficiently, while communication is a key area for the defense.  On special teams, punt team was where Glenn watched most closely, stressing the importance of that aspect of the game.

Asked for his thoughts on Jermaine Johnson, Glenn said he won’t expect him to be a full go by training camp and expects him to start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.  Apparently a fan of Johnson since his days at Florida State, Glenn said he was very impressed by Johnson’s work in Mobile when the Lions coaching staff was on hand.

When it comes to quarterback Justin Fields, Glenn said there has been steady improvement and he likes that he’s seeing Fields avoid negative plays, citing one throw he made on day 1 in which the quarterback was pressured and threw the ball away instead of forcing a bad throw or taking a sack.

Discussing his roots as a defensive guy, the former Jets cornerback said that his favorite thing about his defense up to this point is the speed they play with, saying they get to the ball and they get there quickly.

In taking over as head coach of the New York Jets, Aaron Glenn has his work cut out for him in a variety of areas.  He has to oversee the development of a quarterback.  He has to find a way to stop the run with undersized tackles and linebackers.  He has to figure out who is going to catch passes other than Garrett Wilson.

Another chore for Glenn, and one that hasn’t gotten enough attention, is finding a safety who can make plays on the football the way his safeties managed to do in New Orleans and Detroit where he was the secondary coach and defensive coordinator respectively.

With the Saints we saw the emergence of Marcus Williams, who had thirteen interceptions in four years.  Then it was on to Detroit where Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph combined to pick off 24 passes in a combined five seasons.

Compare that to the Jets, whose safeties have combined to intercept more than two passes in a season just twice since 2016.

It’s clearly more than just the safety position for the Jets too.  Nobody on their defense has been able to pick off the football over the past decade.  Meanwhile, Aaron Glenn’s defensive units have done a remarkable job.

Since taking over as the Saints defensive backs coach in 2016, his defense, all players included, have intercepted 126 passes.  Of those, 52 were taken away by his safeties.

In that same time frame, Jets safeties have exactly half as many with 26.  The defensive unit as a whole hasn’t been much better, picking off only 85 passes.  The difference is remarkable.

So who, if anyone, will emerge for Aaron Glenn?

Keep an eye on free agent addition Andre Cisco.  A ball hawk in college for Syracuse, Cisco is a four-year pro who picked off a total of seven passes over the course of his second and third pro seasons.  Last year he had just one on a Jacksonville defense that ranked 32nd in the NFL against the pass.

College cornerback turned safety Tony Adams is the most athletic player in the group, but rookie draft choice Malachi Moore is expected to challenge Adams for his starting job.

Tony Adams is a CB prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.72 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 53 out of 1834 CB from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/CuRRuvHfFX #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/ObvoDqoEzW

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 14, 2022

The dark horse candidates on the roster are made up of second-year undrafted free agent Jarius Monroe and former colts draft choice Jaylin Simpson.  Undrafted rookie Dean Clark has a shot to stick, but we would expect that to be in a role that sees him play far more than just safety.

We thought Monroe had a chance to make the roster last pre-season which didn’t happen, but he did hang around on the practice squad before being a late-season add to the active roster.

So while the Jets don’t have much in terms of proven talent at safety, they have some guys who have shown flashes and others with quality attributes.

Will Glenn find his next difference maker in the group?  If so, who do you think it will be?

You can discuss that and more right here on our forums at JetNation.com.