The Jets may not be done reshaping their wide receiver room, but the message from their top decision-makers is that the group already has a base they like. Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey gave the room two big thumbs up in May, and Mougey said last week at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix that he still feels good about it.
What makes that view matter now is Garrett Wilson. Mougey said getting Wilson back and healthy will be big for the Jets, and Glenn called him a true No. 1 receiver. Wilson missed 10 of the last 11 games last season because of a knee injury, yet still led the team in receiving yards for the fourth straight season with 395. He had also signed a multiyear extension in July, locking in the player the Jets are building around.
Wilson’s track record gives the optimism some weight. In his first three pro seasons, he averaged 93 receptions and 1,083 yards per year, production that has made him the clearest proven target on a roster that can still be repopulated with new faces from the draft, unrestricted free agency and undrafted free agency. The Jets are also not treating the room as finished, which is why the praise for Wilson came alongside a broader look at younger options already in the building.
That is where Adonai Mitchell comes in. Glenn said he looks forward to seeing Mitchell go through OTAs and the workout program with the team, after the receiver flashed late last season. In a Week 13 win over Atlanta, Mitchell posted career highs of eight catches for 102 yards and connected with Tyrod Taylor on a 52-yard touchdown. Over his strongest six-game stretch from Weeks 12-17, his numbers would prorate to a 17-game pace of 65 catches for 824 yards.
The Jets also mentioned Arian Smith and Isaiah Williams as part of the conversation, and Mougey said he was intrigued by seeing AD Mitchell, Isaiah and Arian take the next step and continue to grow. Glenn added that the summer matters because it gives players time to bond with teammates before the season starts, and he said he wants to see Mitchell go through the whole process with the group after joining during the season.
That still leaves room for movement. Mougey said the team will keep evaluating the market and look for chances to add depth and competition, a sign that the current group is not guaranteed to stay exactly as it is. The Jets like what they have, especially with Wilson healthy again, but they are still leaving the door open for another receiver to arrive and change the pecking order.
