3 Jet Dark Horses Who Could Make the 53-Man Roster as Cuts Near

As the New York Jets get closer to their Week 1 showdown against the Tennessee Titans, the organization must make final decisions on the 53-man roster. Cutdown day is still over a week away, but Gang Green should have a pretty good idea on who they want to keep.

That being said, while the Jets' 53-man roster appears to be all but set, there are three dark horses that are making a late case to get by the last round of cuts.

And after the team's victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night in a road preseason contest, New York should be giving those dark horses more of a thought. Let's go through the list now.

Samuel Womack III

No one has been more surprising or impressive as a dark horse than former San Francisco 49ers corner Samuel Womack. The former fifth-round pick has been excellent throughout training camp. He's competed hard and showed he deserves an opportunity to make plays.

On Friday against Pittsburgh, he showed what he could do. Womack picked off an errant throw in the second quarter in New York's win, and continued to lock players down throughout the first half. He won't be getting any starter reps, but has been more than deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster.

If camp and preseason production is any indication, Womack has been one of the biggest winners.

Chase Wilson

New York's starting linebacker duo is set. Jamien Sherwood and Demario Davis aren't going anywhere. But what happens behind them remains something of a question mark. Kiko Mauigoa, Marcelino McCrary-Ball and Mykal Walker are all competing for a spot on the roster.

Now there's a newcomer that his making his presence felt.

Wilson was given a tryout at Jets minicamp and has made the most of his chance. On Friday, he led the team in tackles while recording a sack and tackle for loss. Impressively, he did this while also being a plus man in coverage. Pittsburgh did very little in the second half offensively and Wilson was one of the players why.

It will be a longshot for him to make the 53, but it's clear Wilson won't go down quietly. If anything, he's an underrated player that's making a name for himself at the end of camp.

Jelani Woods

It was once thought of as ludicrous that an NFL team would keep four tight ends on their 53-man roster. There are simply other spots that are needed with more attention.

The New York Jets are going to be going against the grain when they do that this year, but it will be for a very good reason. Jelani Woods has bounced around practice squads over the last few years, but he has more than deserved a role on the 53-man roster this season.

In the team's preseason win over Pittsburgh Friday, Woods caught the lone touchdown of the game and was stingy as a blocker. He won't be playing over the likes of Mason Taylor or Kenyon Sadiq, but Woods has deserved his standing.

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