3 Biggest Takeaways from Day 2 of Jets Minicamp

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Most of the last month of practices for the New York Jets this offseason period has been a consistent blend of winning plays from both offense and defense.

On Wednesday, the defense won the day convincingly. Gang Green's unit picked off a pass, recorded pressure across the board, and made life seemingly uncomfortable (or as much as they could without pads on) for the offense.

The group was also aided with some bad offensive mistakes as well. That being said, let's go through some of the biggest takeaways from the Jets' second minicamp practice.

Second year struggles

Offseason workouts are the perfect time for young players to learn a new scheme. It's also a chance for them to prove they belong to the coaching staff. While the Jets have liked the young core they have built, it should be noted that it's been a quiet, albeit disappointing run from their sophomore class.

To start, tight end Mason Taylor had a bad drop in the end zone on what would've been a touchdown. The throw was a rocket when it didn't need to be, so some of that could be on the quarterback, but when a second-round tight end is going to be competing with a player who was taken in the first round the very next year, drops like these aren't going to be a good look.

New York needs more from Taylor. They also need more from safety Malachi Moore.

The former fourth-round pick from Alabama has been quite quiet throughout OTAs and has been beaten in coverage consistently over the last several days. More importantly, it feels like the Jets are not going to be giving him the same kind of leash that he was granted last season as a starter.

The Jets like what they have in seventh-overall pick Armand Membou. Outside of the right tackle, though, there's a legitimate chance that the team will have all of its 2025 draft class as nothing more than backups at this point if players don't step up.

It's a long way to go before the start of training camp, but the 2025 draft class will need to do a lot more.

QB2 competition

Speaking of disappointments, while the Jets have had fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik out of drills due to a back injury over the last week, there's been no leading candidate for the backup spot since.

Bailey Zappe was wildly inconsistent throughout Wednesday's practice, with some misses over the middle of the field. Brady Cook appeared unplayable as well. He missed quality reads, bailed out of the pocket, and was woefully inaccurate throughout the day as well. There's little consistency with any signal-caller outside of Geno Smith right now.

Perhaps Klubnik can take training camp by storm, but it's clear that the Jets' backup quarterback problem isn't going away anytime soon.

Standouts from Wednesday's practice

There was a lot to like from Dane Belton on Wednesday, whose speed was on display throughout seven-on-seven workouts. Cornerback Nahshon Wright has also been a welcome addition to the secondary. His pure size alone has made throwing the football difficult for Smith.

That isn't to say the Jets have struggled to throw the football.

Smith and Garrett Wilson connected on multiple passes, including a 20+ yard deep shot downfield early in a two-minute drill. Smith didn't have any issue pushing the ball down the field as well. But Wright did, in fact, have quality coverage on a deep pass to Omar Cooper Jr. that fell incomplete.

Another standout has been Isaiah Williams. Last season, he was used primarily as a top return specialist, but it does seem that Williams will be given a chance to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball as well. He's had quite a good offseason workout run.

Finally, edge rusher Joseph Ossai recorded what would've been a sack in a two-minute drill in which he beat Olu Fashanu on a rush. New York will want Ossai to be a standout against the run, but if he can continue to rush the passer at a consistent level, it will only help the Jets' defense going forward.

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