One of the key components of building an NFL roster is filling out every spot as best you can, from 1-53. You have an even better chance when you can get that core group of players that bring out the best in the rest of the roster and make your team better as a whole.
The Jets are no different than the rest of the teams. They have the key core players that they hope will lead them on a deep playoff run this season, a season in which they are pushing all their chips into the middle of the table.
That core also looks pretty strong. In fact, in a recent piece by ESPN’s Seth Walder, he ranked the roster cores for each team and the Jets checked in among the top ten at No. 8.
Note: the average age comes from the players’ ages on September 7, Opening Day of the NFL season when the Lions visit the Chiefs.
Roster core: QB Aaron Rodgers, CB Sauce Gardner, DT Quinnen Williams, WR Garrett Wilson, G Alijah Vera-Tucker
Average core age: 26.8
Questions will linger until the regular season regarding which version of Rodgers the Jets will get, but this group has unquestioned upside. Gardner is a true Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Wilson could easily ascend to a top-10 wide receiver after a strong rookie campaign and Williams is a top-five defensive tackle.
Very hard to argue that group being the Jets’ core and there’s no question they are the heart and soul now of the Jets. Obviously, the average age is bumped up because of Rodgers (turning 40 in December). The average age of the other four is 23.75. Not a bad group to have, especially in the loaded AFC.
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