The country is beginning to slowly reopen, and that has led to the NFL loosening its protocols to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

In turn, coaches, who haven't been able to go work from their team facilities, are making their way back very soon. In the end, players will be able to get back to practicing together, and that hopefully will be by training camp.

Then, the real fun starts.

Training camp battles are fun for every fan's favorite squad to see who comes out on top for the 53-man roster -- or 55-man per the new CBA. Some positions stand out above the rest due to an influx of players or just two great players going head-to-head to see who will be the starter by Week 1.

So which positions are those on the Jets' roster at the moment? GM Joe Douglas has done a great job adding depth to key positions this offseason, and that will lead to some heated competition in camp. Here they are in order from most fierce to least:

Cornerbacks

It was a group last season that DC Gregg Williams somehow kept intact, but it was also solid play from depth players like Arthur Maulet, Nate Hairston and rookie Bless Austin. And now the starters heading into Week 1 last year -- Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts -- are off the roster.

Let the games begin.

Douglas signed Pierre Desir after his release from the Colts, so you'd expect him to win one of the starting positions given his starting abilities in the past for Indianapolis and his success there. But the spot next to him is wide open at the moment.

Now the Jets could go out and snag a Logan Ryan or Dre Kirkpatrick after Johnson's contract gave Douglas $11 million more to work with. But, for now, a competition that includes Maulet, Austin, Hairston, fifth-round pick Bryce Hall (a potential steal in the 2020 draft), Quincy Wilson, and many others will be one of the most interesting to watch.

Linebackers

The Jets have a linebacker logjam, so the battle will be tough to see who sticks around and who ends up getting cut at the end of camp.

Starting with the inside linebackers, C.J. Mosley is a lock at one of the positions. He is coming back healthy and ready for some redemption. Next to him, you would like Avery Williamson would have the job. But coming off a torn ACL and a Blake Cashman solid rookie season, he might be replaced as a depth option.

And speaking of that depth, the Jets have James Burgess, Neville Hewitt and B.J. Bello coming back with Patrick "Peanut" Onwuasor joining the group. Onwuasor is a very solid depth piece that could challenge them for sure.

When looking at outside linebackers, Jordan Jenkins finally returned which means Harvey Langi, Frankie Luvu, Tarell Basham, and others will battle for that position opposite him. The Jets want a better pass rush, so the player who can show consistency in that area should get the position out of camp.

Tight Ends

This is a position between two players vying for the starting job.

Ryan Griffin, who was brought in last season, just gets the advantage to start in camp. He developed a good chemistry with Sam Darnold, and his stature should continue to be a good red zone target.

But the reason Griffin came over to Gang Green in the first place is due to Chris Herndon having trouble staying on the gridiron last season. That (hopefully) won't be the case this season, as the former Miami Hurricane will look for his starting position back.

Herndon is a better play-making option than Griffin, and could be a solid middle-of-the-field threat for Darnold. Watch these two closely to see who performs better.

Safety

This one comes in last because it should still be Marcus Maye next to Jamal Adams in Week 1. But after Douglas took Ashtyn Davis out of California in the third round, rumors began swirling that the Jets were trying to get rid of Maye via trade to make way for Davis.

Because of that, some believe Davis could be competing for that starting job from Day 1. He's an extremely versatile player, though, so he can play anywhere in the secondary.

Still, it will be worth keeping tabs on this group because of that dynamic.

Popular in the Community