Although one of the busiest days of the NFL calendar is in the books, the New York Jets aren’t slowing down on the roster front. Cutdown day has bled into morning-after waiver claims, and general manager Darren Mougey made several successful adds.
Two of those claims put in were from the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. New York is adding tackle prospect Esa Pole and linebacker Cam Jones as the month of August rolls on and Week 1 is on the horizon.
Jets Claim High-Upside OT Esa Pole From Chiefs After Roster Cuts
Pole is undoubtedly a very interesting prospect. When the Chiefs released their initial 53-man roster, many fans were disappointed to not see him make the cut. August 27’s waiver deadline also created some confusion, as Pole reportedly got notified after the cutoff that he was claimed by the Jets.
With the chaos in the rearview mirror, Pole will officially join New York. The undrafted rookie free agent had a pre-draft visit with them earlier this year. A former basketball player, Pole didn’t allow a single sack in 498 pass protection snaps during his final collegiate campaign at Washington State. That parlayed itself into a successful preseason slate with Kansas City.
According to Pro Football Focus, Pole logged 46 pass blocking opportunities in three preseason games. In those reps, he surrendered neither a sack nor a pressure. His 70.1 overall blocking grade was healthy, as was his tremendous 84.1 pass blocking grade from the outlet.
Pole stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 323 pounds. That, paired with 33.6-inch arms, gives him ample size for an NFL tackle. He posted middling athletic testing grades elsewhere during the pre-draft process, but his tape shows quick feet and a functional lower half overall.
The Jets have an exciting pair of young tackles in Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou. Now, they can continue developing their bookend pieces and boast another fun project with Pole entering the fold.
New York Also Adds Experienced LB Cam Jones From Reigning AFC Champs
Don’t overlook the other Chiefs-related add Mougey made. Jones, a 25-year-old linebacker, has quite a bit of experience on a high-level contender.
An undrafted free agent back in 2023, Jones latched on with Kansas City and never looked back. The former Indiana standout is a quick mover who posted a terrific 1.55-second 10-yard split heading into that draft. His size (6-foot 1, 226 pounds) limited his overall athletic profile.
In his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Chiefs, Jones played in 34 regular-season games. He logged 36 tackles (26 solo efforts) and a single quarterback hit. His reps on defense (161) paled in comparison to what he did on special teams. As one of Dave Toub’s most trusted pieces, Jones played a whopping 567 special teams snaps across two years. He had 6 tackles this preseason.
Jones now becomes a member of a Jets linebacker room that contains names like Quincy Williams, Jamien Sherwood and Francisco Mauigoa. Zaire Barnes and Marcelino McCrary-Ball also made the initial 53-man roster.
The Jets’ first major haul on the waiver wire puts them in an even better position with the regular season approaching.
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