4 Winners & 4 Losers From Jets' Final Joint Practice: Geno Smith Bounces Back While Klubnik Makes Noise

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- If the New York Jets were upset with their performance from practice on Tuesday, Wednesday's showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed early that the team was ready to move past it.

Despite coming out to a draw by my calculations, the Jets looked far better and more competitive today than on Tuesday. Their defense made several plays and the offense won plenty of times against Tampa's difficult defense.

As always, there were clear winners and losers from the day of work. Let's get to some of the biggest ones here:

Winners - Geno Smith

After a dismal day on Tuesday, Jets starting quarterback Geno Smith responded with a positive performance on Wednesday. Smith threw multiple touchdown passes in seven-on-seven drills, including a good throw to Adonai Mitchell in the back of the end zone.

While much of team drills were done within five yards of the line of scrimmage, it showed the team had worked well to prepare for Tampa Bay's pressure scheme this time around. Smith didn't throw any terrible passes and was on time for most decisions.

It was a good day for him.

Of note, Cade Klubnik made several eye-popping throws as well. One was a 60-yard bomb to Arian Smith, who caught it in stride over the middle of the field. It was a perfectly placed ball. Klubnik dropped another dime to Jamaal Pritchett in the red zone but the pass went off the receiver's hand. New York should be pleased with how their quarterback room looked today.

Losers - Jets' Secondary

Both offenses seemed to win plenty throughout Wednesday. But it was New York's secondary that looked worse. While several deep throws saw Jets players in the right coverage, the Buccaneers offense took what they wanted throughout the day.

Baker Mayfield, specifically, had an excellent practice by threading the needle on several throws. In a two-minute situation to end the practice, the Bucs easily went right down the field and scored a touchdown.

It wasn't a good sign for New York's defense.

Winners - Tight End room

New York's passing offense looked good on Wednesday, but their tight end room was what stood out the most. Mason Taylor made multiple touchdown grabs throughout practice and showed why the Jets believe in him as much as they do.

Then there was Jeremy Ruckert. In the same two-minute drill that the Buccaneers drove down the field, Ruckert made an unbelievable catch over a defender on his own to corral a Smith pass. Ruckert looked more like Rob Gronkowski on the play than the former third-round pick out of Ohio State.

Making matters even better for the room, Kenyon Sadiq was seen working out on a side field as he recovers from his "setback" from hernia surgery.

Losers - Omar Cooper Jr.

The first-round rookie out of Indiana has done nothing wrong to this point. He's flashed at times, and seems to be learning the offense at his own pace. The issue for him, right now, is the fact that Isaiah Williams keeps making "wow" plays that are going to force him on the field even more.

Context is always important when it comes to position battles. In the long run, Cooper will be extremely important to the Jets offense. But as he begins his NFL journey, it appears he'll need to show his coaches more as he moves forward into the preseason.

Winners - Will McDonald

David Bailey recorded several sacks on the day including a dominant win against Luke Goedeke in which he used Will McDonald's classic spin move to great effect.

But as practice standouts go, Bailey wasn't one. McDonald, however, was.

The Jets know what they have in the Iowa State product when it comes to rushing the passer. As a run defender, though, the team has needed to see more. The good news is that they got that in droves on Wednesday. McDonald made several key stops against the run including one in between the tackles that showed his newfound size and strength.

The more McDonald plays like he did today, the more playing time he'll get on the field moving forward.

Losers - Armand Membou

Let's clear the air here: Membou was not bad on Wednesday. He held his own against the rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and was solid when opening up running lanes.

But Bain did win several times throughout the day, including one in one-on-one drills and a couple in team sessions. Bain was one of the best edge rushers in college football last season and has reportedly dominated camp for the Buccaneers. It shouldn't be surprising that he stood out like Bailey has for the Jets.

But if Membou is going to take a massive jump as many expect of him in 2026, he has to win these types of showdowns. I would classify the performance as a draw today from him, which ultimately means he took a small step back.

Winners - Dylan Parham

While Membou competed with the likes of Bain, Parham not only held his own during his own one-on-one matchups, but was dominant in team drills. Several of New York's biggest runs came on the left side with Parham leading the way.

He's been overlooked at times this camp simply because he came off a solid year on a bad Raiders team, but Parham has had a good camp—the kind of camp that should excite Jets fans into believing their offensive line is ready to take the next step.

Losers - Kicking Game

While both Jason Sanders and Cade York continue to compete, it looks like there's an early favorite in the clubhouse. Sanders missed badly on several kicks throughout the day. While York did miss from 61 yards at the end of practice, he was more consistent throughout.

If York ends up winning the kicking position battle, it may open some concern for New York as he has struggled during games. The preseason will be the deciding factor.

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