Final Jets 53-Man Roster Projection: Preseason Finale Leaves Lingering Questions to Answer

Training camp is over. With one final preseason game to go, it's the last chance for many players on the current roster to make a name for themselves around the league. Whether it's to earn a spot on the 53-man roster of their own team or to show something for another organization, there will be plenty of important names fighting for jobs on Friday.

As for the Jets, their 53-man roster decisions seem pretty basic. After a competitive training camp, New York should feel good about where the team is in several specific ways.

Before they can get ready for Week 1, though, it's time to break down what the 53-man roster is projected to look like going into Sunday's cutdown day.

Quarterback (2)

QB1: Geno Smith
QB2: Cade Klubnik

No changes to the quarterback room. Klubnik has done an excellent job as a fourth-round rookie to earn the immediate backup quarterback role behind Smith. While there will not be a quarterback controversy this year, New York should feel good about this room. Smith has played well towards the end of camp and should be in line for a bounce-back year after a disaster in Las Vegas.

Running back (5)

RB1: Breece Hall
RB2: Braelon Allen
RB3: Isaiah Davis
RB4: Kene Nwangwu
FB1: Andrew Beck

We'll get into Beck in a moment.

For the time being, though, the health of both Davis and Hall is still in question. That means Allen will be the immediate backup for Week 1, with a bit more of a balanced approach to running the football expected. This is a good running back room, but Allen will need to take a major jump this season.

Wide receiver (5)

WR1: Garrett Wilson
WR2: Adonai Mitchell
WR3: Omar Cooper Jr.
WR4: Isaiah Williams
WR5: Arian Smith

The Jets' lone decision will be whether to keep a sixth receiver or a fullback. It's why we haven't talked about Beck yet.

Andrew Beck drinks. — Andrew Beck's outlook with the Jets will hinge on how many WRs they decide to keep on the 53-man roster. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Should the Jets go with a sixth receiver, Tim Patrick seems to be the most likely choice. Smith's ability to be a gunner makes me think his job is secure. Patrick, as the veteran, will be a calming presence. The other change will be Cooper sliding into the WR3 spot after coming on towards the end of camp.

Tight end (4)

TE1: Mason Taylor
TE2: Kenyon Sadiq
TE3: Jeremy Ruckert
TE4: Jelani Woods

It's no longer a question of whether or not the Jets will keep four tight ends. Woods has proven himself to be more than deserving of a roster spot this year after bouncing around the practice squad in 2025. Taylor is going to be the starter after an excellent camp, with Sadiq and Ruckert also used in the offensive game plan. This is the best the Jets tight end room has looked in years.

Offensive line (9)

LT: Olu Fashanu, Max Mitchell
LG: Dylan Parham
C: Josh Myers, Xavier Newman
RG: Joe Tippmann, Anez Cooper
RT: Armand Membou, Chukwuma Okorafor

It's either the Jets keep Newman as the backup center, or they bring in a veteran who was released on the waiver wire.

Outside of that, the Jets seem pretty situated for the rest of the line with Fashanu, Parham, Myers, Tippmann, and Membou all looking good together throughout camp and the preseason. They'll need to be even better in the regular season if New York is to build a winner.

Defensive line (5)

DE: David Onyemata, Jowon Briggs, Harrison Phillips,
NT: T’Vondre Sweat, Darrell Jackson Jr.

Depending on whether the Jets go with a three-down or four-down front, Sweat will be the main nose tackle on the team with Jackson backing him up. While there is concern for Onyemata's slow start to the preseason, he's been one of the best run defenders in the game for a while. That shouldn't change this season with a solid group of depth around him.

Outside linebacker (4)

LOLB: David Bailey, Kingsley Enagbare
ROLB: Joseph Ossai, Will McDonald IV

No group has looked better throughout camp than the Jets' depth at edge rusher.

David Bailey during practice. — David Bailey's strong offseason performance is a big reason why the Jets' pass-rushing group has a bright outlook. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Their rotation of Bailey, Ossai, McDonald and Enagbare has all had their moments to shine, and each has gotten plenty of pressure on the quarterback. They'll need each player in this group to perform well this year, though, if the Jets are going to be successful on defense.

Inside linebacker (5)

MLB: Demario Davis, Mykal Walker, Kiko Mauigoa
WLB: Jamien Sherwood, Marcelino McCracy-Ball

If there's a group to receive a waiver pickup over the next week, it's probably the linebacker room for the Jets, just due to the fact that the team could use some better depth behind their starters. Davis and Sherwood, though, are among the best linebacker duos in the league, regardless of what some Jets fans may believe.

Cornerback (6)

LCB: Azareye'h Thomas, Nahshon Wright
RCB: Brandon Stephens, Qwan’tez Stiggers
NB: Jarvis Brownlee, D'Angelo Ponds

With both Ponds and Wright dealing with injuries (Wright just returned to the practice field following his), the starting group in Week 1 will be the trio of Thomas, Stephens, and Brownlee. All three had very strong moments in camp going up against an improved receiving core of the Jets. That said, there will still be much to prove going forward.

Safety (5)

SS: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Andre Cisco
FS: Dane Belton, Malachi Moore, VJ Payne

No major changes here. The Jets love what they have seen from Belton, and Cisco has come on in the last few weeks of camp, especially after his interception in the second preseason game against the Steelers.

Andre Cisco in the right place at the right time 😌

NYJvsPIT on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/eLGuXJYqMB
— NFL (@NFL) August 21, 2026

Fitzpatrick, Belton, and Cisco will be the starting safety trio this year. Moore and Payne are developmental pieces who will get time on special teams.

Special teams (3)

K: Jason Sanders
P: Austin McNamara
LS: Thomas Hennessy

New York has made a decision at kicker. It will be Sanders over York after both players struggled mightily towards the end of camp. The Jets could still look to address the position on the waiver wire, but the team feels pretty good about their special teams decisions now. McNamara and Hennessy are two of the best in the game in their roles.

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