Have the New York Jets Solved Their Receiver Woes?

The New York Jets came into the 2025 NFL season with a lot of question marks. Arguably, their biggest, however, was their receivers. Besides their young, newly signed star in Garrett Wilson, the team had no weapons on the roster. Rookie tight end Mason Taylor is a nice safety blanket, but doesn’t really move the needle as a true number two option. When Wilson went down for a couple of games during the year, this problem was made even more apparent. To nip the issue in the bud, general manager Darren Mougey proactively traded for two young, high-upside players in John Metchie III and AD Mitchell. Although they’ve only been on the roster for a couple of games, they both have already flashed the potential of being legitimate long-term options at the receiver position for the Jets.

AD Mitchell grabbed more headlines when he was acquired than his teammate John Metchie, mostly because he was a more polarizing player at the position and was a part of the blockbuster Sauce Gardner trade. Mitchell, a former second-round pick, has all the talent in the world, but has struggled with consistency at the NFL level. While this has continued to be a trend in his short time with the Jets, Mitchell has shown the ability to get open and make impact plays, even with lackluster quarterback play. He had a nice chunk play for 26 yards against the Ravens and finished with two catches for 42 yards on the day. He needs to clean up his drops, something that hasn’t really been a problem throughout his career, but the Jets have to love the potential they’ve been seeing from this young player.

John Metchie was a much more under-the-radar trade, getting swapped along with a 2027 sixth-rounder for corner Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh-rounder, but in his short time on the team, he has been even more impactful than Mitchell. Metchie is also a former second-round pick, but has been buried on the depth chart in his previous two spots. Now that he has finally had an opportunity, he is making the most of it. Metchie has recorded a touchdown in each of his last two games and had an additional six catches for 65 yards against the Ravens. Metchie, along with Mitchell, is beginning to show legitimate promise, and they are young enough to have room to grow into legitimate starting options at the NFL level. The Jets may have found two gems that will help round out their receiving core for the next couple of years.