As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game.
No. 13: Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Last year’s ranking: Unranked (not on team)
Position: Tight end
Age: 24
How acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Buccaneers on Sept. 26, 2016
Years left on contract: 1
2017 Salary Cap figure: $1.1 million
Looking back at 2016: The Jets picked up Seferian-Jenkins after Tampa Bay cut him following a DUI arrest.
It was hard to get a read on Seferian-Jenkins in 2016 because he played one game with the Jets before missing four of the next five with an ankle injury. When he came back, he was treated like most tight ends in Chan Gailey’s offense – as an afterthought.
He had 10 catches for 110 yards for the Jets to go with the three he had for 44 yards and a touchdown with Tampa Bay.
Seferian-Jenkins played more late in the season, and Bryce Petty used him as a security blanket in some of the games he started down the stretch.
Outlook for 2017: Outside of the quarterbacks, there may not be a more interesting player to watch this season. Seferian-Jenkins was the star of the spring. He dropped 25 pounds, quit drinking and was all over the field during OTAs and minicamp.
Can he continue that spring success in the fall? That is the question. Plenty of players look good running around in shorts in May, but falter when September comes.
For Seferian-Jenkins, the season begins with a two-game suspension stemming from that DUI arrest last year in Florida. When he comes back, I expect him to be a big part of the Jets offense. New offensive coordinator John Morton likes to use the tight end in his West Coast system. Seferian-Jenkins is the most talented, experienced tight end on the roster, so he looks like the clear starter over rookie Jordan Leggett and Eric Tomlinson, who is back from last year.
I also think the makeup of the Jets roster helps Seferian-Jenkins. The team’s wide receivers are young and inexperienced following the release of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Combine that with the fact that Christian Hackenberg may end up starting most of the season, and the tight ends and running backs take on a greater importance in the passing offense.
All of this could lead to a big season for Seferian-Jenkins, who has always had the talent but has struggled to put it all together. Could 2017 be the year when he finally does?