5 players who Jets need to be great in 2020

1. QB Sam Darnold

This shouldn’t come as a shock to any Jets’ fan, but the team’s entire fortunes depend on the performance of Sam Darnold. The third pick in the 2018 draft saw his sophomore season derailed due to mono, which knocked him out of action for a month.

Once Darnold got back he was done in by the Jets’ poor offensive line, which sent him running for his life. Poor play-calling by Adam Gase didn’t help, and Darnold himself actually went to Gase in the middle of the season to express his frustration with the offensive scheme.

Gase did tailor the offense more to Darnold’s strengths in the second half and he did play better, but there is not enough of a proven sample size to declare that Darnold can be a great quarterback. The Jets have finally begun to help Darnold in the offseason, adding some weapons in free agency and rebuilding the offensive line.

There is no doubt that Darnold’s supporting cast is better, but the only chance the Jets will have to make the playoffs this season is if he ups his game. Darnold will have to elevate players like Breshad Perriman and rookie Denzel Mims into consistent playmakers in order to have a chance to compete against a brutal schedule.

The 2020 season is a very important one for Darnold, who has shown flashes of brilliance but often makes mistakes that leave you scratching your head. Getting the best out of Darnold is the key to the Jets having a great season.