NFL Preview: Breaking down the 2015 New York Jets

Offensive line

Starters: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Willie Colon, Nick Mangold, James Carpenter,  Breno Giacomini

Depth: James Brewer, Oday Aboushi,  Ben Ijalana,  Dakota Dozier,  Dalton Freeman,  Brian Winters, Brent Qvale, Wesley Johnson, Charles Brown, Jarvis Harrison [R]

In general, 2014 was a season of improvement for the New York Jets offensive line. After a pretty disastrous 2013, the Jets were average.

The anchor of this line is center Nick Mangold, rated as the best center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus last season (subscription required). As fans get smarter and more informed about the game they love, they’ve discovered just how critical a center is to an offensive line. Mangold is the glue that holds this line together and is outstanding during both run and pass plays. As long as he is healthy, this is a huge advantage for the Jets.

At left tackle, D’Brickashaw Ferguson may not be as good as he once was but he’s still a reliable player at another critical position. He moves well and is especially good against pass rushers, even if he’s not quite as quick as he used to be.

At left guard, the Jets picked up James Carpenter. A  former first round pick for the Seattle Seahawks, Carpenter was never quite as good as they expected him to be in Seattle, but he’s consistent enough to fix a position that has been brutal for the Jets for a while. The Jets could never find a guy they could depend on, so they hope Carpenter can help shore the interior up.

On the other side of the line, Breno Giacomini had a pretty good year at right tackle. He wasn’t at the level of Ferguson or Mangold, but he didn’t get his quarterback killed either. Willie Colon is back at right guard, but given how badly he played last season, you have to wonder how long that will last. Oday Aboushi stepped into the lineup at guard on a consistent basis, and though he struggled at times, overall he played better than Colon. This will be a battle to watch this summer, and it could honestly go either way.

Rookie Jarvis Harrison could be a dark horse for a spot on the line, and he’s got the versatility to move into several spots. He is primarily a guard, but was able to move to tackle at Texas A&M when they needed him to. Versatility is always a plus for a player, especially a rookie, and Harrison certainly has that going on. Dakota Dozer and Brian Winters will more than likely rotate in, although Winters has experience as a starter if the team needs him.

James Brewer and Ben Ijalana will also rotate in a little bit, and if Carpenter struggles, could see more time. Most of the remaining players are depth or camp bodies.

Overall this line should continue the upward trend we saw from last season.

Next: Defensive line