5 Hot Takes Heading Into Jets Training Camp

New York Jets training camp is almost here.

With an infusion of talent to work with, the team has fans more excited than they were last year; creating hope that the 2026 unit could be the group that finally brings respectability back to the organization.

While training camp is never a guarantee of regular season success, there are always some nuggets that hold true when meaningful games come. As we get closer to that start, it's time to take a look at some of the biggest hot takes we have surrounding the team going into camp.

Let's get to it.

Adonai Mitchell will outplay Garrett Wilson... in camp

Let me make this very clear: Garrett Wilson is going to lead the Jets in targets and most major receiving categories this year as long as he is healthy.

That doesn't mean he's going to be the best receiver at Jets camp, though. That distinction will fall to his counterpart in Adonai Mitchell. Not only has the former Colt stood out during offseason workouts, but Mitchell has also shown excellent chemistry with Jets starting quarterback Geno Smith.

The two could end up working very well together, which would open the door for Wilson to have an even bigger year than people realize.

But that also means fans must accept the fact that Smith's on-field relationship with Wilson is still a work in progress. And that's something that won't be fixed right away.

Sophomore starters will struggle

Offseason workouts were not kind to New York's sophomore draft class outside of right tackle Armand Membou. Mason Taylor didn't stand out at tight end, Azareye'h Thomas seemed to be beaten out by Nahshon Wright at corner, and the collection of late-round picks from Kiko Mauigoa to Malachi Moore all seemed to struggle in new schemes.

There's no reason to give up on players after offseason workouts, or even through two seasons. Most young players need three years to develop.

But in the case of the Jets, our hot take here is that the struggles from the 2025 draft class (outside of Membou) will continue going into camp. There's a lot left to prove here.

Cade Klubnik will make things interesting

No matter how good rookie fourth-round quarterback Cade Klubnik is in camp, the Jets' starting quarterback this year will still be Geno Smith. New York wants to at least have a quality bridge to whoever is going to end up being the pick in 2027.

Our hot take here is that Klubnik, the former Clemson star, proves himself not only worthy to be on an NFL field, but does enough to keep the Jets intrigued going into the regular season. Not only will Klubnik earn the QB2 job, but he will force the Jets to keep an eye on his development, especially if they start the season out slow again.

Jamien Sherwood will show bounce-back

The Jets desperately need Jamien Sherwood to play like the kind of top-five linebacker that they are paying him to be. After a down year in 2025 that was centered mostly around the rising pressure of leadership, expectations have changed for the former Auburn prospect.

All the same, Glenn's defensive scheme should fit well with Sherwood's downhill fit. I fully expect Sherwood to not only play well in camp, but dominate in a way that the Jets were hoping to see last year but never got.

Jarvis Brownlee will earn nickel role

The nickel cornerback battle will be between Brownlee and second-round rookie D'Angelo Ponds. As of now, it feels like the Jets are quite interested in giving every chance for their rookie corner to earn a starting job.

But Brownlee may have something to say about that through training camp.

It's normal for rookie corners to require time to develop and learn the way to do things at the NFL level, so some semblance of a learning curve is expected to come for Ponds. That will give Brownlee a chance to earn the job out of the gate — at least to start the season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google