Grading the Jets After Their 23-6 Preseason Loss to the Giants

It did not go well for the Jets in the preseason finale.

New York Jets quarterback Cade Klubnik had his ups and downs in the preseason finale against the New York Giants. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Jets closed out the preseason with a 23-6 loss to the Giants on Friday night, proving they are still a work in progress despite the gains the team made the week prior against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If anything, the loss helped determine the fate of multiple players as they either locked up their spot on the roster or paved the way for an exit from Gotham. With the preseason done and attention now turning to the final 53-man roster and the regular season, let's hand out some grades for each unit following the preseason finale defeat.

Quarterbacks: D

There was not much to feel good about regarding the Jets' QB room on Friday night. While fourth-round pick and projected QB2 Cade Klubnik has been a pleasant surprise in training camp with his confidence and accuracy, he looked like a rookie against the Giants after going just 6-of-13 for 59 yards and an interception.

It was not any better for Brady Cook, who was only 3-of-6 for 26 yards. Bailey Zappe, meanwhile, finished 2-of-5 for 12 yards before being cut on Saturday, seeing his brief time in Gotham come to an end after signing a futures contract in January.

Head coach Aaron Glenn described Klubnik's performance as "up and down," but the former Clemson Tiger is still in position to be QB2 despite his preseason lows. That said, Friday night was not the type of performance the Jets needed to see from their backup QBs, especially with fellow backups and third-stringers joining them on the field.

Wide Receivers: C-

To be fair, the receiving corps did not get many opportunities due to poor QB play and the 12 total first downs, but they did not make the most of their chances, either.

Cam Camper (two catches for 26 yards) and running back Chip Trayanum (two catches for 25 yards) led the way for the unit, while tight end Connor Hulstein added three catches for 21 yards. Aside from those three, only Dominic Richardson, Jelani Woods, and Arian Smith contributed to the production, and none of them had more than 12 yards.

The Jets have to feel good about the top end of their receiving group, but Friday night was one last chance for depth to show through. It was not their fault the ball did not come their way often, but 97 combined yards won't get the job done.

Running Backs: B+

In addition to his impact in the passing game, the undrafted rookie Trayanum led the charge in the RB room with 12 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown, which came on a run-heavy, 10-play drive for the team's only score of the game in the opening quarter.

New York Jets running back Chip Trayanum led the club on the ground in Friday night's preseason finale before going down with an injury. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Richardson, however, was the only other RB to add to the rushing attack with five carries for 13 yards. To make matters worse, Trayanum suffered a neck injury and was carted off the field, preventing him from adding to an already impressive stat line at that point in the game and making an even bigger statement.

Offensive Line: C

There were mixed results from the offensive line on Friday night, with some encouraging play in the run game and some inconsistency in the passing attack. While Klubnik struggled throughout the game, he was under pressure and could not step into throws as you would expect to see this close to Week 1.

Guard Xavier Newman, who was part of the roster cuts on Sunday, struggled with a snap late and was called for an illegal man downfield penalty. This took away a solid throw from Klubnik. The starting unit is expected to be one of the best in the league, but it is difficult to leave the preseason finale with much confidence surrounding the depth at the position.

Defensive Line: B

Nate Lynn continued his impressive preseason performance with another sack, giving him three in just two games.

Nate Lynn with the pressure 😤

📺: #NYGvsNYJ on @nfloncbs, @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/weyHIG7634

— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 29, 2026

Lynn continued to do the right things on the second-worst scoring defense from last season (29.6 PPG), but it wasn't enough as the Jets reportedly parted ways on Sunday.

Joseph Ossai also contributed to the pressure with one QB hit as the defensive front forced Giants QB Jameis Winston into multiple first-quarter turnovers and made a strong impression.

However, the Jets did surrender 23 unanswered points after taking the early lead, and could not find a solution to the Giants offense the rest of the way.

Linebackers: A-

This was clearly the Jets' most complete unit on Friday night, largely due to Marcelino McCrary-Ball. The third-year linebacker wasted no time making an impact on the first two possessions of the game, recording an interception on the opening drive and forcing a fumble on the following drive.

We see you Marcelino 👀

McCrary-Ball with the knockout, Stiggers with the recovery!

📺: #NYGvsNYJ on @nfloncbs, @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/kICSZPppY7

— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 29, 2026

This group came to play and was very opportunistic at the start of the game. They were not nearly as productive the rest of the way, but this was an encouraging sign from the LB unit and a clear sign of the depth they could have following McCrary-Ball's impressive showing.

Secondary: B

Much of the focus this offseason has been on a secondary that failed to record a single interception last season. From forcing turnovers and playing tight coverage early to playing fast and mostly disciplined, that was certainly encouraging after the struggles in 2025.

Samuel Womack II, a surprising addition to the revamped Jets secondary, followed up an interception from preseason Week 2 with three solo tackles and one pass defended. For a group that could not make plays and create takeaways last season, it ended the preseason on a good note and provided some reason for optimism.

Special Teams: F

As harsh as the grade is, anything else seems like a stretch for a position that has been in the spotlight the entire offseason. While veteran Jason Sanders was named the winner over the recently waived Cade York, he missed an extra point attempt to begin the game and missed a 54-yarder in the fourth quarter.

It's the same old story for the Jets after they shockingly let Nick Folk go following only one missed field goal last season. Since then, it has been one wrong decision after another at the kicking position, and it remains to be seen what the Jets will do, especially after Sanders' most recent performance.

Coaching: C-

As expected, the Jets coaching staff decided to rest most of the starters in the preseason finale and instead focus on evaluating the rest of the depth chart. That decision gave players like Klubnik, Lynn, and Trayanum one last opportunity to showcase their talents before the focus shifts to the regular season.

That said, there wasn't much rhythm to the offense outside of the first drive. Also, no adjustment was made to the rest of the game to account for the Giants' scoring run. It was a sound preseason approach overall to help determine who is worthy of a roster spot, but it lacked execution and left some potential on the table.

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