Corey Davis has been away from the New York Jets in recent weeks and the veteran wideout announced on Wednesday that he was stepping away from football at 28 years old. While we wish the best for Davis moving forward, his departure does alter the outlook of the Jets’ depth chart at the wide receiver position.
Entering the 2023 season, Davis was in the final year of a three-year, $37.5 million deal that he signed with the Jets in free agency ahead of the 2021 season. Even though the Jets brought in Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Randall Cobb this offseason, Davis was still slated to have a role in the offense after the team elected to keep him around.
Davis is a versatile wideout who can contribute through the air and as a run blocker, so he would’ve seen the field a decent amount despite the new additions. But with Davis now out of the picture, the roles for certain players will change in 2023.
Garrett Wilson’s role in the offense doesn’t drastically change as he was expected to be the go-to option for Rodgers regardless of the new weapons in the offense. While Lazard signed a contract that indicated he’d have a definitive role in the offense already, he’ll certainly relied upon even more on the field because of his run-blocking ability and experience with Rodgers.
Hardman and Cobb figure to rotate as the No. 3 wide receiver in the offense behind Wilson and Lazard. Who Davis’ exit really affects are the guys who are competing for roster spots. Players like Jason Brownlee, Xavier Gipson and Malik Taylor now have better odds of making the 53-man roster unless the Jets look to improve at the position when other teams are making roster cuts.
Davis was never going to have an extremely prominent role in the offense with a crowded group of pass catchers on the Jets this season. That being said, the depth chart is now shaping up to potentially be Wilson, Lazard, Hardman, and Cobb with Brownlee, Gipson and Taylor seeming like the most likely candidates to make the roster with Davis now gone.