Pre-season or not, NFL football is back and Jets fans should be excited to see Gang Green get the ball rolling tonight against the Philadelphia Eagles.\u00a0 While fans are anxious to see year two of Zach Wilson along with what is expected to be a loaded rookie class, who are the key players to keep an eye on and why?<\/p>\n
The O-Line:\u00a0<\/strong>Yup.\u00a0 The whole group.\u00a0 This is expected to be a much improved part of the Jets offense in 2022 and pre-season or not, the starters are going to want to make a statement and get off on the right foot.<\/p>\n WR Denzel Mims: <\/strong>The much maligned Mims showed up to camp in great shape.\u00a0 Thus far, we’ve seen that translate to results on the field as Mims made more plays through the first week of camp than he did all of last season.\u00a0 A strong pre-season from Mims could result in a trade just as easily as it could a roster spot.\u00a0 Either way, he’s got to make some plays to show he belongs on somebody’s roster and he has the physical tools to get it done.<\/p>\n LB Kwon Alexander:\u00a0<\/strong>After rolling out what was arguably the worst defense in franchise history last season, it came as somewhat of a surprise to see Joe Douglas do so little to improve the linebacker room.\u00a0 It was widely believed the Jets would start Quincy Williams in 2022.\u00a0 Enter Alexander, who signed after the start of training camp and has impressed early on.\u00a0 One of the better linebackers in the NFL just a couple of seasons ago, Alexander was derailed by injuries.\u00a0 If he’s all the way back, he’ll be a steal for Gang Green.\u00a0 Keep an eye on Alexander and see if he continues his hot start and wins himself the starting job.<\/p>\n OT Max Mitchell:\u00a0<\/strong>The Jets starters will probably play roughly a quarter of football, meaning Mitchell could see significant reps.\u00a0 The rookie has reportedly opened some eyes early on.\u00a0 So much so that head coach Robert Saleh has said Mitchell was in the running to start at right tackle.\u00a0 This, of course, was before the Duane Brown signing.\u00a0 Either way, Mitchell’s early results are worth watching given the uncertainty of the Jets tackle position.<\/p>\n WR Irvin Charles:\u00a0<\/strong>The Jets have some significant depth at wide receiver but Charles has been mentioned several times through the early portion of camp.\u00a0 He’ll need some big performances as an undrafted free agent if he’s hoping to stick around and is a big play candidate.<\/p>\n