NFL power rankings: Training camp edition
By Brad Weiss
The 2017 NFL regular season is inching closer, and as NFL teams open up their training camps, we take a look at an early edition of our NFL Power Rankings.
We know it is early, but with NFL training camps opening up, it is time to unveil our first power rankings of the young season. There are plenty of teams who improved this offseason, and there were also those organizations who look like they might be trying to tank this season to get some of those big-name quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft. As we look towards the month of August, here is our first installment of our power rankings.
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New York Jets
, AFC East
The New York Jets kick off our power rankings prior to training camp, as they spent most of their offseason getting rid of the veteran talent on their roster. Heading into his third season as the team’s head coach, Todd Bowles is going to have to rely on players who will be getting their first real taste of playing time. With question marks all over the roster, it could be a long season for Jets Nation in 2017.
In 2016, the Jets finished with a record of 5-11, as they got terrible play out of starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. In retrospect, it was a smart move not to offer him a long-term deal, as he proved that the 2015 season was a fluke. The quarterback position is once again a muddled picture, as veteran Josh McCown will look to beat out Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty this Summer, both young players with little experience.
Gone from last season’s roster are players like wide receivers Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall, center Nick Mangold, linebacker David Harris, and cornerback Darrelle Revis. The team did add Morris Claiborne to their secondary, and first round draft pick Jamal Adams was regarded as arguably the best player in the draft class, and should be a serious upgrade at safety. The defensive line is going to solid, as Leonard Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Sheldon Richardson are some of the best players in the AFC at their respective positions.
The Jets are young all over the roster, including at the wide receiving corps. They will have to lean on both Matt Forte and Bilal Powell on the offensive side of the ball, and hope that their stellar defensive line can get stops. There is going to be a growing period for the Jets for the next couple of years, though if they do finish at the bottom of the NFL, they may be able to get a franchise quarterback in next April’s draft.