Now that the 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, it’s time for rookie minicamps to start.
Final weekend, the Ravens, Cowboys, Seahawks, Packers, Chiefs and Eagles held their rookie camps.
Now, it’s the Jets and the 26 different groups’ flip this weekend.
NFL rookie minicamps are two- or three-day orientations that target acclimating draft picks, undrafted free brokers and non-roster tryout gamers to their crew, teaching workers and services.
Seventh total decide Armand Membou will headline a gaggle of Jets draft picks hoping to enhance a crew that completed a disappointing 5-12 final season.
Listed here are the 5 issues to look at through the two-day media availability:
HOW QUICKLY CAN MEMBOU GET UP TO SPEED
Tyron Smith signed final offseason, permitting Fashanu to be eased in earlier than beginning at left deal with. After Morgan Moses signed with the Patriots in free company, the Jets are hoping Membou can step proper in from Day 1.
Membou is an athletically gifted participant who’s explosive off the road of scrimmage. He additionally makes use of his wonderful footwork and uncooked energy to forestall each pace and energy move rushers from attending to the quarterback.
Throughout his three seasons at Missouri, Membou allowed simply three sacks. However final season for the Tigers, he didn’t enable a sack — or a quarterback hit — and gave up simply eight pressures in 392 pass-blocking snaps.
Minicamp received’t be carried out in full pads, so evaluating Membou and the remainder of the offensive linemen might be difficult. Nonetheless, Jets coaches will get a glimpse of what Membou will carry to the trenches.
TAYLOR’S PLAYMAKING SKILLS
The Jets have a brand new weapon in Mason Taylor that quarterback Justin Fields may depend on closely throughout three-down conditions. Whereas at LSU, he was a dependable move catcher. In three seasons for the Tigers, Taylor registered 129 catches for 1,308 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Taylor is a big-body tight finish (6-5, 251 kilos) who may be efficient in 12, 13 and 22 personnel formation packages, which all characteristic two or extra tight ends. He can even line up as an inline tight finish and within the slot. At LSU, Taylor was lined up inline on 46.5% of his profession snaps and allowed eight pressures in 220 move blocking downs, in accordance with Professional Soccer Focus.
With Tyler Conklin leaving throughout free company, minicamp would be the first alternative to see if Taylor could make an early affect offensively.
THE SURPRISE CORNERBACK PICK
Gang Inexperienced’s cornerback room gave the impression to be set after the March signing of Brandon Stephens. Nonetheless, the Jets chosen Azareye’h Thomas within the third spherical, which was a little bit of a shock.
Though cornerback wasn’t essentially a place of want, Thomas is a protracted, rangy participant who may be efficient in each the run and move recreation. At 6-2, 198 kilos, his lengthy arms, physicality, ball abilities and athleticism gave Thomas the bodily presents to grow to be a prime cornerback within the league.
However there have been questions on Thomas’ pace through the pre-draft course of. He ran an underwhelming 4.58 40-yard sprint throughout Florida State’s Professional Day. This might have contributed to Thomas falling to the third spherical.
What is going to Thomas’ position be, contemplating the Jets have Stephens, Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II? This weekend may present a view into that reply.
WILL ARIAN SMITH’S DROP ISSUES CONTINUE
Virginia Tech’s Jaylin Lane, Utah State’s Jalen Royals and Auburn’s KeAndre Lambert-Smith have been all accessible at decide No. 110. Nonetheless, the Jets chosen Smith, who comes with vital questions.
Smith was one of many quickest gamers on this yr’s draft after working a 4.29 and a ten.10 100-meter sprint in highschool.
So, it’s straightforward to see why the Jets focused Smith on Day 3 of the draft. However he completed with 10 drops throughout his ultimate season at Georgia, which was probably the most within the nation.
Along with his fingers, Smith has an intensive damage historical past, together with a damaged fibula, a torn meniscus, a fractured wrist and a high-ankle sprain. After the Jets chosen Smith, Jets coach Aaron Glenn admitted that Smith wants to enhance in some areas.
“He knows he has to get better at that and I’ve lived through this with Jameson Williams,” Glenn mentioned. “The first thing when he came into the league everybody talked about his drops and he worked on it like tirelessly, every day in practice and I see this player doing the same thing, so if you are self-aware and you understand that you have an issue and you know you can get better, that’s the start, so I know this player is going to get better at that.”
WHAT UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS HAVE A SHOT?
Quarterback Brady Cook dinner, defensive lineman/particular groups participant Ja’Markis Weston and extensive receiver Quentin Skinner are three gamers who may doubtlessly make the Jets’ ultimate roster following coaching camp. The Jets didn’t choose a quarterback through the draft, and Cook dinner has a stable arm and good accuracy, which can assist him compete with Adrian Martinez for the third quarterback spot.
The Jets may use a special-teams gunner after Irv Charles tore his ACL final season. Weston not solely has gunner expertise, however he averaged 14.2 yards per punt return throughout his time with the Gators. Skinner completed with 25 passes for 557 yards and 4 touchdowns in his senior season for the Jayhawks, however he averaged a career-high 22.2 yards per reception.
