5 players who New York Jets need to be great in 2019

5. Kelechi Osemele, Left Guard

Earlier this offseason, trading for Kelechi Osemele was one of Maccagnan’s first moves of magnitude. He sent a 2019 fifth-round pick to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for Osemele and a 2019 sixth-round pick in mid-March.

Bringing in Osemele, who turns 30 years old in June, was an under-the-radar, savvy acquisition. Maccagnan took advantage of the team’s salary cap situation and shipped a late-round pick for a former Pro Bowl, All-Pro and Super Bowl-winning player who will provide muscle to the inside of the offensive line.

Osemele carries a cap hit of just over $10 million in 2019 and $11.7 million in 2020. Some may think the Jets bought too high on a possibly declining player who was sidelined with injury for much of last season.

However, Osemele was named to the Pro Bowl as recently as 2017. If he is healthy, he will be a huge piece of the team’s offensive line. He is so important because last year’s offensive line play was oftentimes abysmal.

Having a strong interior offensive lineman does a lot for a team, especially one with a young signal caller. Osemele needs to provide stability to the line and give Darnold the confidence that he won’t have to escape the pocket every time he drops back.

Osemele is a veteran who will be tasked with keeping the franchise quarterback upright and creating lanes for the multi-million dollar running back the Jets signed in free agency. Those two jobs alone speak volumes to how important the veteran is.