Jets head coach Robert Saleh has said numerous times the team will start the best five on the offensive line. But as we sit in June near the end of OTAs, we can probably pencil in three of those starting five.
The two guard spots were already set in stone with Laken Tomlinson on the left and Alijah Vera-Tucker on the right. The third position that looks set seems to be left tackle.
Saleh was asked about the possibility of Duane Brown moving to right tackle, a position he hasn’t played since college. Saleh didn’t rule that out but seemed to indicate Brown is pretty well set on the left side.
“That’s something that we’ll look at,” Saleh said. “He obviously is very comfortable at that left tackle spot. There’s guys who can play right and left and just trying to sort it out. We’ll get to all of that as we go, but I have a feeling Duane will be a hard out anyway. He looks good, he’s doing a real nice job, but everything will be taken into consideration once we start to settle in on which five are going to be the five that we roll into the season with.”
Brown decided to return for a second season with the Jets and his 16th NFL season. Brown, who turns 38 in August, played 12 games last season while dealing with an injured shoulder throughout the year.
Assuming Brown is all but locked in, that would leave just two spots up front that are up for grabs: center and right tackle. Connor McGovern and rookie Joe Tippmann are in the mix at center while Mekhi Becton, Max Mitchell and Billy Turner are among the contenders at right tackle.