The New York Jets’ wide receiver room is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
Garrett Wilson is the most accomplished wide receiver in franchise history through his first three seasons. Despite new coaches and front office members, the message has been the same: get Wilson the ball as much as possible in 2025.
#Jets HC Aaron Glenn on what he’s learning about Garrett Wilson:
“Give him the ball as much as possible. Give him the ball as much as possible. That’s it.” pic.twitter.com/unjh6S0IYy
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) May 21, 2025
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He has been the straw that stirs the drink, and that will continue this season. What isn’t as clear is who the heck will be the WR2 in this offense? Does the answer to that question even matter?
Taking a Look at an Injured Pass Catcher & a Bunch of Rookies
All in all, the Jets have 13 wide receivers on the 91-man roster heading into camp.
Quick note, Irvin Charles tore his ACL on December 8 in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins.
“A typical ACL tear usually comes with approximately a nine-month recovery,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote.
If that timeline holds up, Charles being ready for the start of the 2025 season would be in serious question.
He is less of a factor in the wide receiver room and more of a factor in the special teams gunner competition anyway.
There are four rookie wide receivers who are vying for spots on the roster. The most notable of which is Arian Smith, the No. 110 overall pick in the fourth round of April’s draft.
Smith has turned heads throughout the spring and has a real chance to be a contributor in 2025. He is locked into a roster spot.
The same can’t be said for the other three rookies: Dymere Miller, Jamaal Pritchett, and Quentin Skinner. All three are undrafted free agents and will be fighting for their NFL lives over the next two months.
Non-Rookies Battling for Their Roster Spots
There is a separate group of young, unproven players that are in the Jets’ WR room.
That includes: Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson, Brandon Smith, and Ontaria Wilson. Corley has the highest draft pedigree as a former No. 65 overall pick in the third round.
However, that draft status means bupkis with this new regime taking over this offseason. The scholarship/honeymoon is over.
Smith, 26, is a 6-foot-2 220 220-pound wide receiver who went undrafted back in 2021. Since then, he has bounced between the NFL (Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals) and alternate leagues (XFL and UFL).
Wilson, 25, is a 6-foot, 175-pound wideout who went undrafted back in 2023. He got an opportunity with the Los Angeles Chargers, then went to the CFL in 2024, and now he is back in the NFL with the Jets.
Ring the Bell the WR2 Battle Has Already Started for the Jets
There are two legitimate contenders for the WR2 battle on the Jets and an outside dark horse to keep an eye out for.
We’ll start with the top veterans, Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed that Reynolds “is the clear-cut leader for the WR2 job … Reynolds has separated from Allen Lazard and others.”
The race isn’t over yet. Reynolds has things going for him, but Lazard isn’t just going to give up.
Tyler Johnson is the wildcard in all of this. Johnson, 26, entered the league as the No. 161 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Across his five seasons in the NFL, Johnson has appeared in 49 games and has made eight starts. With those opportunities, Johnson has caught 76 receptions for 828 receiving yards and has scored four receiving touchdowns.
Marginal production, but the analytical community appears to like his upside and what he has shown in limited opportunities.
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