Excited to welcome App State alum and NFL coaching veteran Steve Wilks back to the ⛰️ to serve as Special Assistant to Athletics!
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New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Denver Broncos.
The New York Jets still have plenty of money to spend.
Following the 2026 NFL draft, the Jets have $39.55 million in cap space, which ranks sixth most in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
“The Jets made a league-high three first-round draft picks, so it makes sense that their total rookie pool is a league-high $23.5 million, per Over the Cap. The rookie signings will eat up about $16.5 million in actual cap space,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote.
At the time of publication, the Jets haven’t signed any of their rookies yet. That shouldn’t be an issue. The latest NFL CBA has all the rookie contracts slotted, so there aren’t many holdouts anymore.
After factoring in the rookie additions, the Jets will have $23 million left in cap space.
There are four key areas of concern for the Jets following the draft. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will this Jets roster. You can’t fill every possible hole, but with that being said, here are the glaring weaknesses.
Off-Ball-Linebacker
The Jets could certainly use some depth in the room. There are still veterans available who can be acquired for a low price.
Backup quarterback
The Jets lack experience behind starter Geno Smith. Over the last 11 years, the Jets have only had a quarterback start a full season twice. The odds say multiple quarterbacks are going to touch the grass for the Jets in 2026.
Interior Offensive Line
The green and white don’t have a ton of depth at the guard spots and at the center position. In a perfect world, the team would have addressed this before the sixth round of the NFL Draft, but alas. Last year, the Jets were the only team in the NFL that started the same five offensive linemen all season. Could lightning strike twice in the same place? Sure, it has happened, but that isn’t very likely. Jets’ depth will be tested at some point.
Placekicker
Kickers are people, too. This offseason, the Jets got cute and ended up losing Nick Folk in free agency. That left a gaping void in the lineup, and the team has done a poor job of finding a capable replacement so far. The good news is the Jets have Chris Banjo, who has immediately proven to be one of the best coordinators in the league. Plus, last year, they found Folk off the couch in the first week of training camp. Maybe the solution to the kicker problem isn’t even on the roster right now.
The green and white went all in on veteran coach Steve Wilks shortly after Aaron Glenn was hired as the head coach.
It was an epic disaster. With three games left in the regular season, the Jets fired Wilks as the defensive cooridator.
A few months later, Wilks found a new home. App State Athletics announced on social media that they were “Excited to welcome App State alum and NFL coaching veteran Steve Wilks back to the ⛰️ to serve as Special Assistant to Athletics!”
The school announced in a press release that Wilks has been “named Special Assistant to Athletics and will assist in a variety of areas, including fundraising initiatives, capital projects, and special events. He will work in close partnership with [Director of Athletics Doug] Gillin, the Mountaineers football program, and development staff to help drive strategic revenue growth.”
Excited to welcome App State alum and NFL coaching veteran Steve Wilks back to the ⛰️ to serve as Special Assistant to Athletics!
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, "The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital." Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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