With the possibility of the Jets not playing their starters Monday against the Falcons, there are some players who now have more of a chance to really make a statement and make their case for the 53-man roster, or at the very least, the practice squad. Let’s take a look at a couple of those players to keep an eye on in the national spotlight.
RB Zonovan Knight
Knight may still be buried on the running back depth chart, as Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman and Breece Hall all look in good shape to make the 53. But Knight made a strong case to stick around during the preseason opener against the Eagles. Even if it’s not as part of the running back mix, he is at least making a case in the return game.
Knight returned two kickoffs against the Eagles for 63 yards total, one of those returns being for 52 yards. He also scored a touchdown on the ground. Knight is a very intriguing back that can be used in a pinch and can also take pressure off of Braxton Berrios in the return game. Look for him to get more work against the Falcons on offense and special teams. He’ll be a tough cut in a few weeks.
Michael Clemons
The Jets’ fourth-round pick from Texas A&M had quite a showing in his preseason debut. He recorded four tackles, including one tackle for a loss and a sack. With injuries to Vinny Curry and Bryce Huff, there could be some open spots for Clemons to carve out a rotational role behind Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Meyers.
Another performance against the Falcons like he had against the Eagles will make it very difficult for the coaches to keep Clemons off the field.
Jason Pinnock
The fifth-round pick from 2021 has only been at safety for about half a season, but he has come along very nicely in such a short time. He made the transition from cornerback to safety midway through last season and made his first start in Week 16. Now, with Lamarcus Joyner just coming back from an illness, Pinnock has had an opportunity to remain in the starting lineup and has a chance to make it an all-Pitt safety duo, alongside fellow Pitt alum Jordan Whitehead.
Joyner is probably still the starter at free safety for now, but Pinnock has every opportunity to supplant Joyner. At the very least, Pinnock should be set as the third safety, which in today’s NFL, carries a lot of value, which the increasing number of three-safety packages teams have been utilizing.
As Blake Pace of Jets Country over at Sports Illustrated and FanNation notes, “keep your eye on how frequent Davis and Pinnock line up at free safety Monday, as that can start to lend itself to who will step into that reserve role despite both being more prototypical box safeties. If one continues to pop between now and the end of preseason, the Jets could find themselves entrusting one with the starting gig over Joyner.”
