2023 NFL Power Rankings: New York Jets

Young riser: DE Jermaine Johnson

The Jets have a handful of gifted players under 25, including Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, but they all established themselves last season as rookies. Johnson, part of the same rookie class, was buried in a deep defensive-line rotation in 2022. But not anymore. After unseating starter Carl Lawson in the preseason, Johnson has played 64% of the defensive snaps, second only to Quinnen Williams among the linemen. He has two sacks, three passes defensed and holds up well against the run. He's a three-down player whose arrow is pointed up. -- Rich Cimini

The Jets really faced a gauntlet over their first six games; getting to the bye at 3-3 was a semi-heroic achievement for the Fighting Robert Salehs. Would you give up on this team if Aaron Rodgers had led it to the same record? Of course not. Losing Rodgers and Alijah Vera-Tucker for the long term puts a cap on New York's ceiling. Zach Wilson also kind of admitted that the Eagles gave teams the blueprint for defending the Jets: press them at the line and make them beat you over the top. If the Jets show they can counter that strategy, there really is a path to the playoffs. Maybe with Rodgers on the field again? OK, let's at least get to Thanksgiving, then we can unpack all of the fantastical scenarios.

At 3-3 off their bye week, they have to feel pretty good about where they are after losing Aaron Rodgers on opening night. The defense is special.

After a brutal stretch to open the season — and going 3-3 might have been considered sufficient even had injured QB Aaron Rodgers played — the NYJ came out of the bye to face a trio of sub-.500 outfits, starting with a "road" game against the Giants.

One question: Could Aaron Rodgers return?

As soon as Rodgers was seen throwing a football, albeit gingerly, last week before the Jets' game, earnest speculation began about whether he could return this season from Achilles surgery. Coach Robert Saleh says Rodgers is "manifesting" himself toward a speedy recovery and hasn't counted out his starting quarterback's return. Marty Jaramillo, described by CBS Sports HQ as an "injury expert," says Rodgers is "moving almost three times as fast" as a normal player through the recovery process. If Rodgers can return, these Jets become a real contender. The only certain thing, though, is that Rodgers is going to play out the drama on this question as long as he can.

The Jets had all the goodwill heading into their bye week after beating Philly. Now, they face the crosstown rival Giants, who just got a big win of their own. You don't want to be the loser of a game with this much narrative power behind it.

The Jets face the Giants in a non-road game, then host the Chargers and play at the Raiders. Their offensive issues mean nothing is promised, but those are three winnable games. Just don't be surprised if you wake up in a few weeks and Zach Wilson's team is 6-3.

The looming battle for New Jersey doesn't have the sizzle it once did, but the Jets remain very viable.

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