4 Winners and 3 Losers From Jets' Tuesday Practice (8/18): T'Vondre Sweat's Presence Immediately Felt on Defense

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- By design, Tuesday morning's practice was one of the longest for the New York Jets during this year's training camp. For over two hours, the team competed hard to make sure they would be ready for another preseason test this week.

The good news was that both the offense and defense seemed up to the challenge, with the defense winning a spirited practice. The bad news was the team remained without running back Breece Hall, who the Jets confirmed would be out for the next two to three weeks with a groin strain. He is expected to be ready for Week 1.

Hall's absence left plenty of big plays available for other players, though. Let's get to some of the biggest winners and losers from Tuesday's practice here:

Winners - T'Vondre Sweat

It took one practice for me to see exactly why the Jets were so happy to acquire Sweat from the Tennessee Titans this offseason. On two straight run plays up the middle, Sweat feasted off a double team, allowing other players to eat. The offense would've been lucky if they gained a yard.

Bringing in a nose tackle is always tricky. They aren't the player many fans think of as being the key cog on defense. Sweat won't generate the same kind of buzz as David Bailey, for instance.

But his role in controlling the line of scrimmage will fundamentally change how teams try to run the ball against New York this season. Based on Tuesday's practice, running up the middle won't work anymore.

Losers - Jeremy Ruckert

Ruckert tried to salvage the day with a few nice completions in team drills, but the start was so ugly today it's hard to look past. On two separate one-on-one reps against pass rushers in team drills, Ruckert whiffed on each block. Making matters worse, other tight ends like Jelani Woods were far better in the same drill, even going up against Bailey.

At the start of team drills, Ruckert ran an excellent route, caught the ball, and turned upfield. As he was on his way for a big completion, the veteran tight end inexplicably fumbled the football without being touched. It was a senseless mistake that would've had fans pulling their hair out.

Ruckert has been relatively solid during camp so far this year but today was easily his worst practice.

Winners - Omar Cooper Jr.

Cooper didn't make any big catches during team drills, but he was unguardable in one-on-ones. Going up against Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Cooper made the veteran corner look foolish for long completions on several different throws.

It was the kind of day that should build confidence in the rookie wideout after seeing his spot somewhat taken away by Isaiah Williams over the last week. Cooper will have a role in this offense, and the focus right now is building that confidence.

Losers - AZ Thomas

I don't know what to make of AZ Thomas. On paper, his size and physicality are exactly what head coach Aaron Glenn wants in a cornerback. He also competes as hard as any fan would want their players to.

But there's a fatal flaw in Thomas' game, and it showed out throughout Tuesday's practice.

Speed.

Thomas was burned repeatedly by Adonai Mitchell in one-on-one drills. When he was beaten, he would grab and get called for pass interference even when the pass wasn't connected. The Florida State product is a handsy player. He was like that in college and even during his rookie campaign. While his physicality is something the Jets have liked to see, it's clear that the penalties and his excessive hand-grabbing will hurt him throughout the year, especially against faster receivers.

Winners - Geno Smith

It doesn't look like there are any limitations to Smith's game two practices removed from an ankle injury that kept him out of last week's preseason opener against Tampa. The Jets' starting quarterback was accurate and threw with really strong anticipation throughout the morning.

His two best throws came over the middle, where he threw both Mitchell and Garrett Wilson open for big completions. They were the kind of throws New York didn't see at the quarterback position last year.

Smith has had a pretty solid camp, but Tuesday was one of his better days. His chemistry continues to grow with New York's receivers.

Losers - Cade Klubnik

While Smith had a strong practice, the same could not be said for Klubnik. New York's rookie signal-caller still made some good throws throughout practice but threw two interceptions. One of them wasn't his fault, as a running back dropped a pass and tipped it up in the air. This allowed Samuel Womack to come away with the pick.

On the last throw of the day, though, Klubnik missed his receiver high and wide while watching Thomas pick off the pass. It looked like a miscommunication with a receiver, but it's still an overthrow and interception at the end of the day.

Klubnik will look to bounce back tomorrow as he gets more reps ahead of the end of the preseason. It's around this time, though, that he will need to prove he is worthy of the QB2 role on the offense going forward. Otherwise, the Jets could look elsewhere for a proven veteran.

Winners - Jamien Sherwood

We haven't talked a lot about Jamien Sherwood in camp, but he's been relatively solid overall. Today, he showed just how good he is against the run, stifling multiple plays in between the tackles and outside. His sideline-to-sideline athleticism is a big reason why the team still believes in him after a down year.

Sherwood did lose a couple of one-on-one battles in the passing game to Braelon Allen, but he's been in the right spot on defense all camp and looks to be on the path to another solid season.

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