The New York Jets are not expecting their rookies to have the same impact this season as last. And that’s OK with coach Robert Saleh.
With a deeper roster, higher expectations and not as many premium picks in the 2023 draft, the Jets do not plan on rushing their rookies into prime roles this season.
“We’re taking things slow with them,” Saleh said last week.
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So, the focus appears to be on development more than production for the likes of Will McDonald IV and Joe Tippmann. They are New York’s top two picks this season, with McDonald, a defensive end, selected in the first round and Tippmann, a center, taken in the second.
McDonald is projected to be in a heavy rotation on the defensive line. But expectations are tempered since New York is loaded at his position. Tippmann is likely the Jets center of the future but right now is third on the depth chart, behind veterans Connor McGovern and Wes Schweitzer.
“He’ll get to learn some things, but to be able to do it on his own time is always a plus,” Saleh said, speaking specifically about McDonald.
Those words could pertain to Tippmann, too.
New York Jets’ 2022 draft class was smashing success, outlier
Of course, it would be difficult to replicate the success Jets rookies had in 2022. Corner Sauce Gardner, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, was named All-Pro, earned a Pro Bowl selection and won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the No. 10 overall pick, won top offensive rookie honors.
Their 2022 draft class also featured explosive running back Breece Hall (second round), defensive end Jermaine Johnson (third pick in first round), defensive end Micheal Clemons (fourth round) and offensive tackle Max Mitchell (fourth round). Each contributed last season when the Jets won seven games.
Saleh sees Johnson’s rookie season as an example for New York’s first-year players in 2023.
“It’s always good when you can fly under the radar and have the season he had,” Saleh explained. “He could just sit back (without pressure) and learn and do the things he did (2.5 sacks, 29 tackles in 14 games).”
That doesn’t mean McDonald, Tippmann and the other rookies won’t earn playing time this season. What it does mean is that they’re being brought along on a slow roll until it’s proven they can handle more.
“I didn’t expect to come in and people would just respect me,” Tippmann said. “You’ve got to earn respect. Can’t focus on the big picture. Just work on the day to day.”
Will McDonald IV, Joe Tippmann stood out in Hall of Fame game
The rookies did get an opportunity to be front and center Thursday when the Jets played the Cleveland Browns in the Hall of Fame game. With most regulars sitting out the preseason opener, the rookies played a lot.
McDonald made his presence felt quickly. On his third defensive snap, the somewhat undersized end stood up the left tackle allowing other defenders to swoop in and stop a running play for no gain. A few plays later, McDonald didn’t bite on a play-action fake and pressured quarterback Kellen Mond to throw off balance and incomplete.
In the second half, McDonald used an elite spin move to again break in and force an incompletion. He finished with two QB pressures and two tackles in 33 snaps.
“He did a couple of good things,” Saleh said in typical tempered fashion. “He’s going to be a good football player.”
McDonald, drafted specifically for his ability to rush the QB, provided a similar self-assessment.
“Next time I get there, though, I am going to make sure I get the quarterback down,” he said. “It was a cool feeling to be out there but would have been better if I got (the quarterback) down.”
Tippmann started and played 46 offensive snaps. It was a major workload for the center (6-foot-6, 317 pounds), who’s yet to play with Aaron Rodgers and the first-team offense during training camp team drills.
“Yeah, Tip had a really strong game against Cleveland,” Saleh said. “I thought he did a really nice job. It was a pleasant surprise. … He held his own, won a lot of his one-on-ones, did a really nice job communicating. Hopefully he can continue to stack it, bring it to practice, keep stacking great days, and see where it takes him.”
Another rookie to watch is running back Israel Abanikanda. With Hall still on the PUP list after knee surgery, Michael Carter coming off a subpar sophomore season in 2022, and free agent Dalvin Cook not a slam dunk to sign with New York, Abanikanda will get a look.
The fifth-round pick was a star at Pittsburgh, where he rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 TDs last season.
Against the Browns, Abanikanda led the Jets with 27 yards on nine carries. He exploded around left end to score on a 10-yard run in the second quarter.
Undrafted free agent Xavier Gipson produced mixed results as the primary kick returner for the Jets on Thursday. He muffed his first punt return, fumbling it out of bounds at his own five-yard line. He rebounded to return a second half kickoff 45 yards, displaying explosive speed.
But the dye appears to have been cast for the Jets rookies. When the curtain rises on the 2023 NFL season in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, there likely won’t be many opportunities for them.
And Robert Saleh is OK with that.