As the Jets continue to work towards hiring a new GM and HC, we’re starting to look deeper at the list of offseason tasks. 

Last week we took a quick look at some key pieces the Jets may want to work to keep in the building, and today we’re going to be looking at potential additions through the draft. 

One of the marquee events of the offseason, the NFL Draft represents an opportunity to improve your team, and in a hurry. For a team picking inside the top 10, it’s a chance to snag an elite prospect that offers immediate impact. 

Some teams draft for need, whilst others work on a ‘best player available’ approach. When those two approaches overlap, good things happen. 

Today, I wanted to outline four potential prospects the Jets could be eyeing up with their 7th overall selection. It’s important to note that we’re still at the start of this process. Later this month we have the Senior Bowl down in Alabama, then comes the NFL Combine, individual meetings and interviews and a whole lot of deep diving. 

It’s always hard to project players at certain draft spots. One unexpected selection or one major trade can throw the draft into upheaval, but even at this point in the process you tend to have a vague idea of who is likely to go in the top 10. So here are some top prospects to watch for the Jets; note that this isn’t an exhaustive list, just four players who are good options. 

Mason Graham – Defensive Tackle – Michigan

If, like me, you’re addicted to mock drafts, this is a name you’ll be very familiar with. Graham is projected to the Jets more than any other player and for good reason. Rated as PFF’s #1 defensive tackle in college this season, Graham possesses all the skills required to make an effortless leap to the NFL. Graham spent three productive years at Michigan, which included a national title in 2023, and his disruptive nature inside would be the perfect complement to Quinnen Williams, giving the Jets one of the premier pairings of defensive tackles in football.

9 sacks and 18 tackles for loss over the last three years don’t do his impact justice. His 12% run stop rate was the 2nd highest in college football and his sub 5% missed tackle rate is elite. He has the upper body strength and agility to work as both a pass-rusher and run defender and his high motor and effort would be welcomed by whoever is named the Jets new Head Coach. 

Abdul Carter – Defensive End – Penn State

There’s a reason that Micah Parsons is campaigning for Carter in Dallas. The Penn State product is one of the most dominant pass-rushers to come out of college in a while. Some will question his ability to stand up in the run-game, but his ability against the run is far superior than a lot of pass-rushers who have been taken in the first round recently. Carter is coming off a 13 sack, 66 pressure season with Penn State and he’s equally productive coming off the left or right side. 

Although the Jets have two very good pass-rushers in Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, you can never have too many players capable of disrupting the QB. There’s a very good chance that Carter is taken before the Jets come to make their selection, but if he is there it’s going to give the Jets a lot to think about. 

Will Campbell – Offensive Tackle – LSU

If you’re looking for an offensive tackle you’re in luck. The 2025 draft could see as many as seven offensive tackles taken in the first round, and I’m pretty confident stating at least four will go within the first 25 picks. I’m still not entirely sure who the best tackle in the draft is; most have Will Campbell, some have Josh Simmons from Ohio State and some have Kelvin Banks Jr from Texas. For the sake of this piece, I’m going to go with Will Campbell from LSU. 

Campbell has everything you want from a tackle. He’s a dominant pass-protector, who plays with excellent leverage and hand-placement with the anchor to handle bull rushes and the agility to combat speed rushers. In over 1,500 pass-blocking snaps in college he’s allowed only 49 pressures and 4 sacks, that’s a pressure every 33 snaps and a sack every 398 snaps. 

The Jets drafted a tackle last year in Olu Fashanu and taking Campbell would mean moving one of them to RT, but on the plus side it would give the Jets a dominant pair of tackles for the next decade. Building through the trenches is never a bad idea in my opinion. 

Will Johnson – Cornerback – Michigan

The Jets have been very fortunate recently with the outside corner pairing of Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, but with Reed heading to free agency there may be a pressing need for a more permanent partner for Sauce. Enter Will Johnson, who is largely considered a top-10 prospect and the #1 out-and-out corner, although cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter will likely be picked ahead of Johnson. 

Johnson possesses the size, length and frame for a starting corner in the NFL and his physicality and versatility make him ideal for any system. At Michigan he’s played a mix of man and zone coverage, and his 9 interceptions in the last three years show that he has a nose for the ball. 

Only three teams in the NFL recorded fewer interceptions than the Jets 7 this year, and considering Johnson has that turnover potential to go with the skillset and the stats (0 touchdowns allowed in the last two years, 53.6% career passing completion allowed) he would be a very interesting prospect for the Jets.

The New York Jets are busy interviewing for the leadership team of tomorrow and one of the first obstacles to navigate for the new GM will be free agency, which kicks off with the start of the new league year in March. 

The Jets have been big players in free agency recently, but before we get to the players they could bring in from other teams, we need to decide on those currently rostered. 

As things stand, the Jets have 20 different players heading to free agency. 16 of those players are unrestricted free agents and 4 are restricted free agents. 

Unrestricted free agents will have four or more years of NFL service and once free agency hits, they’re open to negotiate with any and every team. If they decide to sign with another team, they’re not obligated to give the Jets a chance to match the offer and the Jets won’t receive any compensation in return. 

Restricted free agents will have three accrued NFL seasons and while they can negotiate with any team and sign with any team, the Jets will be given an opportunity to match the offer. If the Jets decide to match the offer, then the player is obligated to remain with the team. If the player leaves, then the Jets would receive compensation based on the tender they tag the player with.

Those are very simplistic terms, but without going into the specifics of each tender it’s a good starting point to understand the situation we’re in. 

Restricted Free Agents

Chazz Surratt, Irvin Charles, Xavier Newman-Johnson, Tony Adams

With restricted free agents, there is always a good chance that they all return to the team. I think that’s likely going to be the case here. 

Chazz Surratt and Irvin Charles were two of the best special teams performers for the Jets in 2024 with 7 and 5 tackles respectively. Charles was graded by PFF to be the best special teams player on the team and his 88.6 grade put him inside the top-10 for the season across the league (minimum of 150 special team snaps). 

Charles unfortunately sustained a torn ACL against the Miami Dolphins in week 14 and the Jets will be hoping his recovery puts him on track for the 2025 season. 

Xavier Newman-Johnson only played a handful of snaps this year but showcased his versatility in 2023 when he appeared at three different positions along the offensive line and Tony Adams played in over 750 snaps this season and made 84 tackles with 1 interception. 

Adams and Charles need to be protected with tenders, but I think all four will return. 

Unrestricted Free Agents

Haason Reddick, D.J. Reed, Tyler Conklin, Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, Javon Kinlaw, Solomon Thomas, Ashtyn Davis, Wes Schweitzer, Leki Fotu, Isaiah Oliver, Chuck Clark, Kenny Yeboah, Malik Taylor, Jamien Sherwood, Brandin Echols.

As you can see from the extensive list of players, there’s likely going to be a lot of change in that locker room at One Jets Drive. 

There is an argument that can be made for each player, whether that’s past performance, future potential or just seeing what someone can do who wasn’t able to perform this year due to injury or any number of other reasons. 

To work through all these individual players would take some time, so I’m going to pick out three names that I think the new GM should prioritise. 

Morgan Moses

There’s a reason the Jets players chose Morgan Moses for the “Most Inspirational” gong in the end-of-season awards, very few players command the level of respect that Morgan does.

It was a difficult season in many ways for Moses who played through injuries and was forced to miss multiple contests. The 723 offensive snaps played was his lowest total since his rookie year with Washignton back in 2014. 

But when he was on the field he was a reliable pass-protector and effective run-blocker. At 33 he still has plenty left in the tank and I feel his experience will be vital in 2025. 

The Jets are likely to field a starting offensive line that includes 22-year-old Olu Fashanu, 27-year-old John Simpson, 23-year-old Joe Tipmann and 25-year-old Alijah Vera-Tucker. Having a fully healthy Morgan Moses to support that room would be a big benefit. 

D.J Reed 

Reed has said that he’s looking forward to experiencing free agency to see how teams see him. Considering what he’s put on tape over the last few years, you have to imagine the answer to that question is “very favourably”. 

D.J has spent three good years in New York forming one of the most dominant cornerback trios alongside Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II. He’s coming off a year where he allowed just 58.3% of passes to be completed into his coverage and 7 passes defensed. 

His effort level could never be questioned and that was evident against Miami in the final week of the season where he ran close to the length of the field to make a TD saving tackle. It epitomises the kind of effort and competitiveness that Reed brings to the table, and those guys are players you want to go to war with. 

It may be that the Jets get outbid for Reed, as unfortunately the reality of the NFL salary cap means you can’t pay everyone as much as you’d love to. 

Jamien Sherwood

Sherwood was finally given an opportunity to play consistently in 2024 under unfortunate circumstances (injury to captain C.J Mosley), but he rewarded the Jets patience with an outstanding season, one to be proud of as a first-time starter. 

Before this season Jamien had played just 357 defensive snaps across three years as he transitioned from safety to linebacker and say behind Mosley to learn how to be a leader and general on the defensive side of the ball. 

This season Sherwood played 1,063 defensive snaps and led the team with 158 tackles which included 98 individual tackles, 2 sacks, 3 passes defensed and 10 tackles for a loss. 

That was in his first year as a starter, imagine what he could do in year two. Think to the improvement we saw with Quincy Williams. To me Sherwood should be the priority signing of the off-season for the Jets. 

Jets Will Return to London in 2025, Set to Host a Game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
President Hymie Elhai: ‘It’s Another Great Opportunity for Our Organization’

The National Football League announced Friday the Jets will play an international game in London during the 2025 regular season. The Green & White will host one of their home games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the U.S.

“We are excited to bring the unique and entertaining atmosphere of a New York Jets home game to London as part of the 2025 NFL International Games,” said Jets president Hymie Elhai. “It is another great opportunity for our organization to build upon our brand and fandom in the U.K. which we have enjoyed cultivating the last few years. The success of the NFL’s international games speaks directly to the sport’s increasing global reach, and we are proud to continue as ambassadors of the game.”

The international contest will mark the Jets’ third game in Tottenham in five seasons but first as the “home” club. As the “visiting” team at the stadium referred to by some as “New White Hart Lane,” the Jets dropped one-score contests to the Falcons and Vikings in 2021 and last October, respectively. The Jets’ opponent at Tottenham, along with the game date and kickoff time will be announced when the NFL’s full 2025 schedule is revealed this spring.

“We look forward to welcoming the Jets, Browns and Jaguars to London as part of the 2025 NFL International Games,” said NFL U.K. & Ireland General Manager Henry Hodgson. “This season will see us surpass 40 regular season games in the capital, a testament to the role the U.K. has played in growing the game globally. The London games are a continued catalyst for year-round fan engagement and we are focused on serving our 15 million fans, reaching new communities and driving growth in flag football participation, which now sees over 100,000 young people play the game.”

This year’s London game will be the seventh game played by the Jets outside the United States. In the regular season, the Jets have won twice on the international stage, 19-13 over the Bills in Toronto in 2009 before a 27-14 takedown of the Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in 2015.

As part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program, the Jets hold marketing rights in the United Kingdom. The initiative awards NFL clubs international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the U.S., through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities.

While both the Jets and the Browns will host games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Jaguars will return to Wembley Stadium as part of their multi-year commitment to playing a game in the U.K..

Beginning in 2025, the NFL can schedule up to eight league-operated regular season games internationally. The NFL will also play regular season games in Madrid, Spain at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to Real Madrid C.F., and in Berlin, Germany at the Olympic Stadium. Other games and locations will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Since the NFL started playing internationally in 2005, a total of 55 international regular-season games have been staged with London (39), Toronto (6), Mexico City (5), Frankfurt (2), Munich (2) and Brazil (1) all playing host to NFL teams. The league has played a preseason game or regular season game in five of the seven continents.

Fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland can sign up to New York Jets Fan Club, our official international membership programme, and register their interest for tickets now. Existing members can sign in to the portal on the login page, whilst new members can sign up now on our website home page.

The curtain is about to come down on another Jets season, and instead of looking back to 2024, it’s time to look forward to 2025. 

Top of the offseason priority list is identifying new hires at general manager and head coach. The Jets have already started their interview process and after taking a look at some of the things I’d like to see from the new GM, it’s time to turn our focus to the head coach role. 

This week, the team confirmed that they have conducted an interview with Ron Rivera for the position and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan has made it clear that he’d like to be under consideration. 

NFL rules limit the interview process for hiring teams at this stage of the season, but personnel from teams who will receive a first round bye will be able to hold online interviews. 

During the NFL spring meetings, it was decided that interviews with coaches who are in the playoffs can last a maximum of 3 hours, and the time for the interview needs to be agreed with the coaches current employer so as not to interfere with game preparation. 

So with all that said, the Jets are at the very start of this process. 

There are no indications on whether the team will look to hire a general manager first, but we can take solace in the fact that the process is underway and it’ll be exhaustive in order to find the right candidates to take this team forward. 

Any head coach stepping into the role will have plenty to work with. It’s not often an opening appears where the offensive line is largely settled, the team has a young star receiver and running back, a star corner and three key pieces on the defensive line as well as multiple talented linebackers. 

So what kind of coach should the Jets be looking for? 

Leadership

I think sometimes we can get far too caught up with whether the man in charge is an offensive or defensive minded head coach. In reality, that really shouldn’t matter because once you’re hired as a head coach you’re hired to lead the entire roster, not just one side of the ball. The head coach needs to set the tone, create the foundation for the success and actively maintain a culture that leads to consistent winning. 

Some of the top coaches in the NFL don’t call plays on either side of the ball and personally I think that’s beneficial for a team who are looking to form an identity across the board. Play-calling on one side of the ball can draw too much of the head coach’s attention and having trusted coordinators doing the job leads to accountability. Dan Campbell doesn’t call plays in Detroit, although he’s done so in the past, and there is probably no hotter coach in football right now than Dan Campbell.

Is prior experience necessary? 

When you make certain decisions and they don’t work out, it’s natural to want to do a 180 for the next hire. If your previous head coach was a defensive guy, then some will be adamant the next head coach needs to be an offensive guy. If the last guy was a first-time head coach, then some will be adamant that the next man up needs to have experience. I think that’s a dangerous way to look at things and can lead you into making bad choices based on rigid guidelines. 

Dan Campbell had only ever been in interim charge for a short period before Detroit, Kevin O’Connell was a first-time head coach in Minnesota, plus Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay, Sean McDermott and even someone like Mike Tomlin were all first-time head coaches in their respective positions. If there is an Andy Reid out there then you go and get him but handing over the keys based solely on experience is a mistake. 

For me, having experience within the NFL is important and most head coaches come from the coordinator position, but having previous head coaching experience is not the silver bullet that some people make it out to be. 

Clear Vision & Communication

When Kevin O’Connell took over as the Minnesota Vikings head coach he had a clear vision, and I remember reading an article about how he would clearly communicate difficult concepts that made them easy to absorb and utilise. He calls it “dot-connecting”: tying things together with certain words all relating to the same theme. For the Vikings that can be sports cars, big cats etc. Having that clear vision of what you want your team to stand for and how you want them to operate is vital. 

Sticking with O’Connell because as a former Jet I’ve enjoyed following his career; he’s always been open to two-way communication. If players want to change the way they attack it then he’ll do that, as he explained in an article on The Athletic: 

“I’m not the one out there running the play,” O’Connell said. “If it doesn’t infringe upon the play-caller’s intent or the design of the play, ‘It’s yours, guys.’ I think that there is power in that, in this day and age … when they feel like they are a voice at the table, not just someone being talked to.”

It may seem overly simplistic to say the new coach needs a clear vision and communication, but I think many hires have failed when the individual either doesn’t have that set vision and instead has a lot of borrowed concepts, or the system is too convoluted to operate at a high level. 

Final Thoughts

Hiring a head coach is a difficult job. Not every coach will have the same impact in every single environment and there are no hard and fast rules for how to get this right. But if you can find someone who has an aura of leadership while having elite communication with a clear vision then you’re on the right track. 

Let the exhaustive search commence.

The 2024 season is winding down to a conclusion and it’s fair to say that it didn’t go to plan for the Jets. A season that started with Championship aspirations is ending in disappointment.

While that’s hard to take for us fans, this offseason represents a period of hope. The Jets will be looking for a new GM to lead the ship, and that in itself is an exciting proposition.

The search for a new GM promises to be comprehensive, with the Jets hiring The 33rd Team, led by former GM Mike Tannebaum and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman to help with the search. 

Although this will be the first time that the 33rd Team as an organisation has assisted an NFL team with a GM search, Spielman was part of the six-man panel last year that helped the Washington Commanders hire Adam Peters, so not only will he bring knowledge from his own time as GM, but he also has first-hand experience helping a team pick a new GM. 

The team has started to release information on preliminary interviews with candidates this week, including Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson and Jim Nagy. This marks the start of an exhaustive manhunt to find the right person who possesses the perfect skills and attributes. 

But what should the Jets be looking for in a new GM? 

Here’s what I’d like to see from the new man in charge:

Strong college scouting background

Good franchises who are consistent winners tend to be the ones that scout well. The foundation of any team is built through the draft. It’s something the Jets have done well over the last few years with Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Will McDonald and Olu Fashanu among others appearing to be the keystones to build around. It’s hard to be a consistent winner by relying on free agency to build out your team; missing on draft picks can set franchises back years, as we have seen up and down the NFL. 

So when I look at a potential candidate’s background I like to focus on their scouting experience. Have they played the game? Have they worked as a road scout or an area scout, putting in the long hours and the high miles? Have they been recognised within their organisation and promoted to hold more authority in the scouting game. A lot of general manager candidates would have started as scouting assistants, working their way up. 

You’re not going to hit on every single draft pick, but having a strong scouting background will set you up for success moving forward. 

Mentorship within the industry

The NFL is full of highly respected executives. Most of them are tied down to their current teams and going nowhere, they’re respected because they’re successful and if you’re successful in this league you tend to stay where you are. That’s frustrating for teams looking for the best but it also offers an opportunity. With the top job blocked, their assistants tend to have to look elsewhere to take the next step in their career. 

You look at someone like Ian Cunningham in Chicago. Outside of his own individual characteristics, his executive history makes him an appealing candidate for any open job. Not only has he worked for the great Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, but he’s also worked for Howie Roseman in Philadelphia as well. 

You don’t work under two of the best in the business for as long as he did without picking up a few things here and there. He’s certainly not the only candidate to have worked in successful franchises under widely respected executives. 

The Franchise Turnaround

Not every GM job is the same. We can’t avoid the fact that the Jets have the longest playoff drought in North American Sports. So part of the remit for the new man in charge is being able to identify how to turn a franchise around. 

Most GMs walk into situations that require a little work; there’s usually a job opening for a reason. But in some situations, the GM needs to change the narrative, the perception and guide the franchise into a full turnaround. 

Look at the job that Jon Robinson did in Tennessee. Inheriting a team that had not been to the playoffs in 7 years and was coming off a 3-13 season, he helped guide them to the playoffs in 4 of his 6 full seasons in charge.

Ray Agnew in Detroit has been front and centre of the Lions renaissance. Before their playoff win against the Rams in 2023, you had to go back to 1991 to find the last one. The Lions went all the way to the NFC Championship game last season and they’ll be heading back to the playoffs this year. 

Securing a candidate from a franchise that has been a perennial winner has advantages, but for a team like the Jets, securing a candidate from a franchise that has experienced a turnaround may be more beneficial in the long run. 

As the Jets commence their search for their next general manager, we’ll be taking the chance over these next few weeks to assess what the future at One Jets Drive could look like under new stewardship. Before we look ahead though, it’s always helpful to take a look back too, at some of the moves that have defined the strengths of the current roster.

At times like this it’s easy to just remember the bad times and the current struggles. Over Joe Douglas’s tenure as GM however, the Jets made some key additions both through the draft and free agency that has set them up with exciting talent for years to come.

Let’s take a look at three of the best roster-building moves in the past five years. 

The 2022 Draft Class

If there is going to be a lasting legacy of positivity from the six years of Joe Douglas’ tenure, it’s going to be the 2022 draft class.

Armed with two first round picks, the Jets selected cornerback Sauce Gardner 4th overall, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson 10th overall. 

Gardner ended up winning the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award while being named First-team All-Pro in both 2022 and 2023. Garrett Wilson was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for 2022 and has gone on to break numerous Jets records. He’s also well on his way to the third consecutive season of 1000+ receiving yards to start his career. 

Had that been it, it would have been a successful draft class. But there’s so much more. 

The Jets aggressively moved back into the first round to take Jermaine Johnson, who was named to his first Pro-Bowl in 2023 and has become an explosive and reliable 3-down defensive end. 

They then moved up again to be in position to draft Breece Hall, who already has over 2000 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns despite missing significant time through a serious injury. 

He then found contributions throughout the draft from Jeremy Ruckert to Max Mitchell, Micheal Clemons and Tony Adams as a UDFA who turned into a starting safety. 

You can’t underestimate how rare it is to find so many stars and contributors in one class. 

Although not 2022 draft related, you also have to consider some of the other draft wins throughout his tenure, which includes late-round steals in Jamien Sherwood and Michael Carter II and UDFA signings like Bryce Huff who turned into one of the best pass rushers in football. 

Quincy Williams 

Quincy Williams has quickly become one of the best linebackers in football, with his electric speed and ferocious hitting, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Jets had spent considerable draft capital on acquiring Quinnen’s brother. 

In fact, it was a smart waiver wire pickup. The Jacksonville Jaguars waived Williams after two injury riddled seasons in Florida, despite spending a third round pick on him in 2019. The lack of patience shown by Jacksonville allowed the Jets to step in. 

Williams was named a First Team All-Pro last season, having racked up 139 tackles including 15 for a loss. Following that breakout performance the Jets signed Williams to what was considered a very good deal for the team, turning the once-disregarded linebacker into a cornerstone of the defense for the years to come. 

Picking up production from the waiver wire became a staple of Joe Douglas’s time here, just think of John Franklin-Myers for another example. 

Signing D.J. Reed

So we’ve seen key acquisitions through the draft and we’ve seen some smart additions via the waiver wire, so here is an example of a free agency signing. Those didn’t always go to plan, but it certainly paid off here.

D.J. Reed has been one of the best Jets free agency signings in recent memory. A 5th round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, Reed found himself looking for a new team just two years later and wound up sticking to the west coast with Seattle. 

Following a successful spell with the Seahawks, Douglas signed Reed to a 3-year deal in 2022 and since then he’s become one of the premier cornerbacks in football. 

Over three years with the Jets, Reed has broken up 23 passes while allowing less than 60% of passes to be completed into his coverage. 

His partnership with Sauce Gardner has made the Jets one of the hardest teams to throw on over the last three years, despite their recent struggles.

Labelling the 2024 season as a huge disappointment for the Jets is unavoidable. A season that started with such hope and expectation will end without a spot in the playoffs for the 14th year in a row. Accepting and understanding the shortfall is the first step to change. 

But even in a season that has disappointed, there are plenty of positives to touch on. 

Garrett Wilson is well on his way to another 1,000-yard receiving season and Will McDonald has broken out in a big way with double-digit sacks. D. J. Reed has continued to be one of the best corners in football and Sauce Gardner is coming off a game where he held dominant receiver D.K. Metcalf to just one catch on four targets. 

John Simpson is one of the highest graded guards in football, Joe Tippmann has graded as a top-10 centre and has flourished as both a leader and player, whilst fourth-year linebacker Jamien Sherwood has already hit 100 tackles in a season for the first time. 

Sitting at 3-9, it’s easy to consider the 2024 season a complete failure; the ultimate goal was a championship and the team will fall well short of that. But the cupboard is by no means empty and if you choose to, you can find plenty of reasons to be optimistic going into 2025 and beyond.

One reason to be optimistic is the play of Olu Fashanu, the Jets first round pick who has been asked to step in for the injured Tyron Smith who was placed on injured reserve. Smith is playing on a one year deal and will have his future decided in the offseason, but the Jets may have found the franchise tackle that they’ve been looking for ever since D’Brickashaw Ferguson hung his cleats up after the 2015 season. 

It’s still early days for Fashanu who has played just 351 offensive snaps so far, but the early signs are promising, especially when you consider what he has been asked to do. Not only has he stepped in for Smith to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside, but he also stepped in for Morgan Moses at right tackle earlier this season and even filled in for Alijah Vera-Tucker at RG against the Texans, a position he’d never played in his life.

Through all of that, he’s allowed just 1 sack and 16 pressures and he’s coming off his best game of the season where he put on a pass-blocking clinic. 45 dropbacks for the Jets, 0 sacks and 0 pressures allowed by Fashanu who showcased both his speed and power in keeping the QB clean. 

Leonard Williams, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall all tried their luck against the powerful rookie from Penn State and all failed. All three of those players have 5 or more sacks on the season, but none of them were able to get close to Aaron Rodgers rushing from the right side. 

There were 45 pass blocking snaps to choose from, but I’ve picked out just three. If you watch the game back you won’t hear #74 called very often because he simply shut down anything and everything that came his way.

This first one showcases his speed and slide to get out to Leonard Williams (#99) and close off his angle to the QB straight away. Even though he gets pushed back he still has the power in his hands to direct Williams up the field rather than towards the pocket.

This one is against Derick Hall (#58) who just gets engulfed by Fashanu’s frame and is moved laterally with apparent ease. Fashanu’s vice-like grip means that if he gets his hands on you, it’s very difficult to disengage. Here, Hall is locked up.

This final one may be the one I like the most. This one shows situational awareness and blocking intelligence. The Seahawks try a stunt but after forcing the edge rusher inside to Simpson and Tippman, Fashanu quickly recognises the rusher coming around and with a well timed chip by Hall, picks him up with ease. 

If you’re looking for a reason to be positive this season, the play of Olu Fashanu should be right at the top of the list.