AD Mitchell, Nahshon Wright Shine & Other Takeaways from Jets Minicamp Day 1

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The final week of the offseason practice schedule is upon us. Instead of the team voluntarily arriving at the facility for lesser work, mandatory minicamp is a chance for the full organization to be brought together before training camp.

And as always, the New York Jets have plenty of takeaways to break down through the entire Tuesday afternoon slate.

From elite plays being made to underrated players standing out in their own right, Tuesday's work offered another glimpse of how the team is expected to look heading into the 2026 season.

AD Mitchell takes center with standout play of minicamp

Head coach Aaron Glenn declared beforehand the team would be focusing on work in the red zone for Tuesday. While the later part of practice was nothing more than a walkthrough, the small bit of competition came early on.

And wide receiver AD Mitchell was at the center of it.

The former second-round pick out of Texas caught a bullet over the middle of the field in the back of the end zone. It was an excellent throw from Geno Smith, but the catch was even more impressive. Mitchell not only made the tall grab but got both feet in for the completed catch and score.

It was the kind of play sorely missing from the Jets last season and highlights the very strong offseason Mitchell has shown throughout.

Tuesday's catch might have been Mitchell's best play.

"He's going to be a star in this league for a long time," Smith said afterwards about Mitchell. "He's a great young talent, super hard worker."

Corners bounce back

I continue to be impressed with the Jets' starting cornerbacks during offseason workouts. Nahshon Wright's versatility and anticipation are something no Jets corner has had in recent years. He recorded a pass deflection in the end zone on a well-thrown ball.

On the other side, Brandon Stephens continues to have a good camp. On a play, he was beaten by Garrett Wilson, the veteran corner bolted to make a late break on the ball. His effort has never been a problem, but seeing it so early in offseason workouts shows how important Stephens is to the team's culture.

If Wright and Stephens continue to play as they have, the Jets' secondary will be far better than the group that finished dead last in passing touchdowns last season.

Mixed reviews for Geno Smith-Garrett Wilson duo

While the connection between Geno Smith and AD Mitchell has heated up, the quarterback's connection with Garrett Wilson has been a work in progress. On the deep pass that Stephens broke up, Wilson had burned the corner by at least five yards. A pass in stride from Smith makes it a touchdown.

Except Smith woefully underthrew the ball and allowed Stephens to make a play on it.

Earlier in practice, the two weren't on the same page when Wilson turned inside over the middle of the field in the red zone, and Smith's bullet pass bounced off his chest. It was a sign that the two players were not on the same page about what kind of throw was expected in that situation.

This isn't something to truly worry about, but it's worth noting the clear difference between Mitchell and Wilson so far, with Smith throwing the ball.

Underrated performers from Tuesday's practice

Linebacker Kiko Mauigoa has had an underrated start to minicamp. He came through with a couple of pass breakups and seemed to be reading the run very well. The former fifth-round pick out of Miami is competing for the third linebacker spot on the defense and seems to be the early favorite for that right now.

Outside of Mauigoa, cornerback Tre Brown is another player who has been a surprise. Brown, who spent last season on the practice squad, made multiple pass breakups including one in the corner of the end zone on a fade against a taller receiver.

Brown recorded a one-handed interception just a few weeks ago, but has looked very consistent so far. He's a candidate to make the team if he plays well as much as he has.

Injury updates

As expected, the team was without both quarterback Cade Klubnik and tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Both rookies have been dealing with injuries over the last few weeks and weren't expected to play at this point.

They did, however, work off to the side on Tuesday and looked good moving around. New York doesn't need to do anything with either player yet. They would be better served getting both ready for the start of training camp.

Another note was the fact that tight end Jelani Woods also worked out on the side field with Sadiq and Klubnik. Glenn did not announce any injury for the veteran, but it's worth mentioning with additional practices coming up over the next few days.

Add us as a preferred source on Google