Jets Training Camp Competitions to Monitor (and Who is Most Likely to Be Cut)

Who's likely to be in and out?

Jets HC Aaron Glenn will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to these position battles. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Jets rookies set to report to training camp on Saturday and veterans on Tuesday, it is getting down to crunch time to determine which players will make head coach Aaron Glenn's 53-man roster and who will be cut and left off the team altogether.

Some position battles are already decided, but that is not the case for others on a new-look team where veterans are trying to prove themselves and less-proven players are looking to make a strong enough impression in a new scheme.

With the pads set to come off and preseason play just a couple of weeks away, here are three Jets training camp battles to watch and who is most likely to be cut at the position.

Quarterback: Bailey Zappe vs. Cade Klubnik headlines search for Geno Smith's backup

The return of the veteran quarterback Geno Smith has simplified any dilemma the Jets may have had entering the offseason under center, but there are still some doubts regarding who will be the QB2 behind him.

Glenn has expressed confidence in Bailey Zappe as the front-runner for the QB2 role, but this battle is far from settled. While Zappe has given the Jets some life despite his minicamp struggles, he has accounted for more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (12) in his career and was on the Browns' practice squad last season.

Does Bailey Zappe have what it takes to emerge as the QB2 for the Jets? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cade Klubnik, the rookie fourth-round pick out of Clemson, did not participate in minicamp due to back tightness, but he was the only QB to complete all of his passes during one of his OTAs practices and showed why the backup QB competition should not be wide open. Zappe likely gets the QB2 role based on early indications, but don't count Klubnik out as the season progresses, and he gets more up to speed.

Running back: Braelon Allen vs. Isaiah Davis for depth behind Breece Hall

Much like the QB position, the starting running back spot is clear, with the re-signed Breece Hall the focal point of this backfield. However, with his efficiency in the passing attack as well, the Jets could lean on a running back-by-committee approach and utilize the rest of their RB room to spare some of the load off Hall.

At 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, Braelon Allen has the physicality and size, but he has not been as versatile in the pass game and lacks the breakaway speed that could help him stand out in the battle with his fellow 2024 draftee, Isaiah Davis. He also only averaged 4.2 yards per carry before an MCL sprain cost him most of the 2025 season.

Davis, meanwhile, averaged 5.5 yards per carry in relief of Allen last season and has proven to be a better checkdown option in the passing game after coming down with 21 receptions on 28 targets for 186 receiving yards in 2025. Allen is a useful red-zone threat and averaged 2.86 yards after contact in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked 33rd among RBs with at least 88 carries, but he was viewed as a potential trade target of the two coming into the offseason.

Jets fans will be monitoring Isaiah Davis vs. Braelon Allen in the backfield throughout training camp. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Due to his versatility in the backfield and the passing attack, Davis is likely in the best position here for the RB2 role, but Allen's size and physicality could make it difficult for him to get the upper hand without a fight.

Safety: Andre Cisco vs. Malachi Moore highlights depth in the secondary

After coming off a solid stint with the Jaguars that featured as many as 73 total tackles in 2022 and four interceptions in 2023, Andrew Cisco's first season with the Jets in 2025 was cut short due to a pectoral tear. He also struggled in coverage and was already on the roster chopping block coming into the offseason.

With that said, Cisco played well in organized team activities and is the projected starter at strong safety. The early signs from the offseason program are a clear indication that he could be a dark horse to make the roster and potentially lock up the starting spot in the process. Sure, his bad tackling, poor coverage and mind-numbing mistakes are concerning, but Cisco has the tools to help stabilize a secondary that shockingly failed to record a single interception last season.

Andre Cisco seemingly has what it takes to stick around with the Jets. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some stiff competition awaits Cisco in the form of the second-year player Moore, who had the second-most tackles (101) on the team last season. However, Moore had a quiet showing in OTAs and struggled in coverage, making him the Jets' biggest concern.

The secondary battles are far from over going into training camp, but it appears that Cisco is in the best position to outperform Moore and land the starting spot at safety based on his offseason performance alone.

Who is most likely to be cut?

Most likely to be left out of the QB picture is 2025 undrafted free agent Brady Cook, who has not done himself any favors during the offseason and has a bleak outlook going into training camp after completing just 57.5% of his throws last season. Jets on SI's Nick Faria noted that Cook was "unplayable" at minicamp, making it even clearer that he is the most likely to be cut unless improvements are made quickly.

Although he is likely entering his final season in Gang Green, Kene Nwangwu is the RB4 and is a key contributor to the Jets' special teams. With that said, he would seem like the most likely cut candidate of the RB group as Allen and Davis fight for the spots ahead of him on the depth chart, and with undrafted free agents Sam Scott and Chip Trayanum having an outside chance to shake things up.

With Cisco, Moore, veteran Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dane Belton and rookie VJ Payne ahead of him, Dean Clark could be on the outs at safety. Clark made improvements after being left off the initial 53-man roster last season, but his unproductive defensive play and new additions around him have put Clark in a position where he may need an impressive training camp to stick around with the Jets.

Unless he can make a strong case for himself, Clark will likely join Jarius Monroe and Keidron Smith as cut candidates in a stacked safety room.

Most likely to be cut: Brady Cook, Kene Nwangwu, Dean Clark, Jarius Monroe, Keidron Smith