San Francisco 49ers Opponent Breakdown: New York Jets
The 49ers schedule is a bit tougher than last season, but they still should manage to win 10-12 games in 2020. The initial part of their schedule is where they need to take advantage of the situation as their first six games include five opponents who didn't make the playoffs last season.
Here is the second installment of the 49ers opponent breakdown as they face off against the New York Jets in Week 2:
New York Jets
2019 Record: 7-9, 3rd place in the AFC East
2019 Meetings with 49ers: N/A
Season in Review: The Jets come off a year in which they concluded their ninth-straight season of not reaching the playoffs. Head Coach Adam Gase was hired in January of 2019 to reconfigure the direction of the franchise and that led to a three-game improvement. Starting out, they got off to a rough start under Gase but as the season played out, they began to find success, finishing the season with six wins over their last eight opponents.
Key Additions: QB Joe Flacco, RB Frank Gore, CB Pierre Desir, WR Josh Doctson, C Connor McGovern, WR Breshad Perriman
The Jets weren't the most aggressive team in free agency but they did add a few players who could see time in starting roles. Pierre Desir is projected to pencil in as one of the team's starting cornerbacks in an unproven secondary. Desir comes from the Indianapolis Colts where he started 29 games over the past three seasons — recording five interceptions in that span. Breshad Perriman enters the mix as their No. 1 pass-catching option after posting career-highs in receptions (36), receiving yards (645) and touchdowns (6) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to Over the Cap, the Jets currently sit with $24 million under the salary cap — a favorable amount to go add more pieces to the puzzle.
Key Departures: CB Brian Poole, QB Trevor Siemian, RB Bilal Powell, WR Demaryius Thomas, WR Robby Anderson, OT Kelvin Beachum, CB Trumaine Johnson, OT Brandon Shell, RB Ty Montgomery
The Jets' most considerable departures came from the offensive side of the ball. Losing Robby Anderson and Demaryius Thomas tears down two of their main targets on offense as they'll now head into 2020 with several new targets along the outside. Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell both served in starting roles along the offensive line last season but after the two of them gave up 11 sacks, their front five may benefit with new pieces anchoring the edge.
Notable 2020 Draft Picks: OT Mekhi Becton, WR Denzel Mims
Revamping the Jets offensive line had to be their main focus entering the NFL Draft after Sam Darnold was sacked 33 times in 13 games. With the 11th overall pick, they selected Mekhi Becton — the biggest player in the 2020 draft class at 6'7", 364 pounds. Becton comes with expectations of being a cornerstone left tackle for years to come, which should help Darnold's growth down the road. Many thought Denzel Mims helped himself more than any other wide receiver throughout the scouting process — earning the right of some first-round recognition but the Jets were able to snag the former Baylor wideout on Day 2 of the draft. Mims is tall, lengthy and physical — projecting as an option who could see a high volume of targets.
Prognosis: Sam Darnold still remains a wait and see after two mediocre seasons. Factoring in the moves the Jets made this offseason, their roster is probably around the same place they were when the 2019 season ended. However, their All Pro safety Jamal Adams has voiced his concerns with the organization and head coach, resulting in a possible departure in the coming days or weeks. Adams is their best player on the roster, so seeing how the locker room reacts if he is traded in recent days will tell a lot about the team's culture. Only time will tell. But for now, they appear to be a team who will be on the outside looking in when it becomes playoff time.
*On Wednesday, Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated’s All49ers reported that Jamal Adams to 49ers is “picking up steam.” This is an on-going situation and something to monitor in the meantime.
