With the beginning of training camp less than a week away, it’s time to take a closer look at the makeup of the Jets’ roster entering the 2020 season.

While the injury bug hit the Jets in multiple positions in 2019, the middle linebacker spot took the brunt of the hits. C.J. Mosley missed 14 games with a groin injury, while Avery Williamson missed the entire campaign with a torn ACL. New York relied on patchwork depth and while the unit held its own, it got exposed at times.

As training camp and the beginning of the regular season inch closer, Jets Wire will provide a look at each of New York’s position groups and what could be in store for the unit in 2020. Let’s breakdown the middle linebacker room at One Jets Drive.

The Starter

A healthy Mosley means the world for the Jets defense. He showed just a  glimpse of what he’s capable of during the first three quarters of the Jets’ Week 1 matchup against the Bills. Mosley was the best player on the field for nearly 45 minutes, coming away with a pick-six, fumble recovery and six tackles in his debut in green and white.

The Jets prematurely rushed Mosley back from a significant groin injury, which led to him requiring season-ending surgery. With Mosley given the all-clear to return to the field, the Jets defense is getting back an elite-player who can change the dynamic of games, just as he showed in his Jets debut.

Getting a player of Mosley’s caliber back into the starting lineup should pay dividends for New York’s defense. Even without Mosley, the injury-riddled unit was able to finish seventh in the league in total yards allowed.

Depth

The Jets’ depth at inside linebacker was tested last year and it could remain one of the team’s strong suits if Mosley and Williamson are granted clean bills of health. Despite his resume, Williamson will have to audition for a starting spot. While New York can save around $6.5 million in cap space, Williamson will be given an opportunity to make the team. After a fluke ACL injury cost him his 2019 season, Williamson is motivated by his year away from the game and looking to return to form. In 2018, he compiled a career-high 120 combined tackles, three sacks, one interception, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Vying to beat out Williamson are Blake Cashman, Neville Hewitt and newest addition Patrick Onwuasor. Cashman, a former fifth-round pick out of Minnesota, had 40 total tackles and a half-sack in seven games before a torn labrum and fractured shoulder derailed his rookie campaign. Cashman has a nose for the football, but he’s still very raw and a reserve role is more likely.

As for Hewitt, he had the best season of his career in 2019, setting multiple personal bests. In 12 starts, Hewitt played 762 defensive snaps, adding 78 total tackles, two interceptions, five passes defended, three sacks and eight quarterback hits. Hewitt is a perfect depth piece for New York considering his play doesn’t level off when he enters the starting lineup.

Onwuasor is the only new face in the middle, but he does have familiarity playing next to Mosley from their days in Baltimore. Onwuasor is a versatile chess piece but was benched by the Ravens after they thought he could be Mosley’s heir on the strongside. With something to prove and a return to the weakside in the cards, Onwuasor has an opportunity to start in New York.

James Burgess and B.J. Bello round out the Jets’ middle linebacker depth chart. Burgess is a favorite of Gregg Williams dating back to their days in Cleveland. He did an admirable job filling in the second half of the 2019 season, recording 69 tackles and an interception in New York’s final eight games. A career journeyman at just 25, Bello could be a special teams contributor. He returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the Jets’ Week 15 loss to the Ravens.

Outlook

Mosley has a chance to be a game-changer in the middle as he returns to the starting lineup. Who will be playing next to him in Williams’ 3-4 scheme will be determined in New York’s limited training camp, but the Jets have the necessary and formidable depth to cover their bases in the middle of the field.

Williamson will have an expensive audition, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to return to form in the coming weeks. Onwuasor’s knowledge of the defensive scheme and experience playing with Mosley gives him the best chance of being part of the Jets’ starting lineup come Week 1.