Is 2025 the Year the Jets O-Line Puts It All Together?
For many years, the New York Jets have struggled to find consistency and talent within their offensive line. In 2023, anything that could have gone wrong for the offense went wrong. While the unit didn’t have too much talent to show off to begin with, a combination of terrible performances and injuries completely derailed any hope of having a sliver of success. The Jets used a total of 13 different starting line combinations, showing that continuity is something needed for success.
In 2024, the Jets recognized this issue and took the chance to improve the unit in the offseason. Before the season commenced, the Jets had one of the best offensive lines on paper. The issue with that was that they didn’t perform anywhere near where they were expected to. The combination of old age, inconsistencies, and a lack of playing time cost the unit, and they never got the chance to show off their potential. However, the departure of veterans on the o-line opened lanes for younger players and recent draft picks. While the unit as a whole didn’t get the chance to succeed, fans saw glimpses of hope from players like Olu Fashanu, Joe Tippmann, and Alijah Vera-Tucker. If the offense can stay healthy, they have the chance to do some damage in 2025.
With the addition of Armand Membou in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jets are putting all possible capital into boosting their offensive line. Membou brings reliability to the o-line this season, as he played most of his games in college, allowing only three sacks in 2,243 snaps. He joins Fashanu, who had a strong first season in New York after originally acting as a backup, and Tippmann, who has become one of the best young centers in the game. Veteran Vera-Tucker has spent a large majority of games injured the past few seasons, but when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best linemen in the league. As long as the group stays healthy and works well together, the Jets can rely on the run game a lot more than they did in previous years. This would be the ideal outcome since Justin Fields is a very mobile quarterback, and there are many signs that Breece Hall can bounce back and Braelon Allen can have his breakout year.
