This Underrated Player Was Best Addition For New York Jets

The New York Jets needed to be aggressive in the offseason.

General manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh knew that as soon as their 2023-24 campaign was over.

After another lost year that saw their franchise quarterback rupture his Achilles tendon on the fourth snap of the opener, they needed pursue upgrades that would give them the best chance possible to finally compete in their division and conference as a whole in 2024.

The offensive line unit was a complete mess last season, so Douglas went out and added three players via trade or in free agency. Not having a solid backup quarterback turned out to be a major issue, so they signed veteran Tyrod Taylor. Knowing they needed more weapons for Aaron Rodgers to throw to, the Jets handed big-play threat Mike Williams a deal.

All that preceded New York drafting one of the best offensive tackles in Olu Fashanu, then selecting yards-after-the-catch-machine Malachi Corley.

With strong additions on the offensive side of the ball, there are plenty of choices to generate excitement.

However, Michael Nania of Jets X Factor thinks it's their unheralded offensive line addition, John Simpson, who is going to be the best one.

"Whenever I watch him on film, I consistently come away feeling like he's far better than what he's billed as. Call me crazy, but I feel like the Jets could be getting a top-15 starting left guard in Simpson," he writes.

That would certainly be welcome for the Jets after handing him a two-year, $12 million deal.

What Simpson brings to the table is his ability to be a mauler in the running game, something that should allow Breece Hall to get back to being the elite running back he looked to be during his rookie season before his ACL and meniscus tear.

With horrendous quarterback play and a poor offensive profile, Hall still almost put up 1,000 yards, but only did so on 4.5 yards per carry compared to the 5.8 he was doing in 2022.

Out of the four new offensive lineman brought in, it makes sense as to why Simpson is the one who generates the least amount of hype on paper.

With his average to below-average grades by Pro Football Focus, potential Hall of Famer Tyron Smith, previous Jet Morgan Moses, and potential star rookie Fashanu are all going to dominate the headlines.

Still, Nania thinks that the offensive guard is going to prove himself valuable on the field.

"Don't forget to mention John Simpson in your discussions about the Jets' revamped offensive line ... I'm not saying we should start taking measurements for his Canton bust, but I feel comfortable predicting that Simpson will be a top 10-15 left guard this year. I love his game and I think Jets fans will feel the same once they see him on the field," he adds.