The New York Jets Could Have a Very Dangerous Run Game in 2025
The New York Jets have not been very consistent over the past few years. The team has been through more ups and downs in the last two seasons than many clubs have faced in a decade. However, there has been one fairly consistent factor throughout these trying times, and that is their lack of a good run game. The most success they’ve had in the recent past was during Breece Hall’s rookie year, where he looked incredibly dominant before tearing his ACL seven weeks in. That all could be changing, though, as the Jets seem to have built a pretty fool-proof rushing attack going into 2025.
The running game starts in the trenches. If you can’t block well for players in the backfield, even the best of backs are going to have trouble. Look no further than the reigning offensive player of the year in Saquon Barkley. After years of his potential being wasted behind a subpar offensive line on the New York Giants, Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards and was a major part of a championship team in his first year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Yes, Barkley is a generational runner already, but that can only take a player so far. Behind one of the best lines in the league, Barkley exploded for his best season as a pro. The Jets might not have as prolific a line or backs as the Eagles do, but there’s no reason to think they won’t have a much improved rushing attack from the year before.
The Jets have one of the more talented offensive lines in the league, with four out of five of them being former first and second-round picks. Their latest addition, rookie right tackle Armand Membou, was an absolute mauler in the run game during his collegiate career. Guard John Simpson is also a freakish run blocker, despite being on such a cheap deal. Assuming the line gels together well, players running behind them should have some legitimate running lanes to work with.
The Jets’ running backs are also nothing to scoff at. On a Good Morning Football segment, former Miami Dolphins tackle Terron Armstead said that he thought that Breece Hall and Braelon Allen have a chance to be the best running back combo in the league. If they both can realize their potential in 2025, this could become a reality. Both backs are incredibly talented and high draft picks, both being taken in the second round. Compound them with the rushing threat of Justin Fields, who ran for over 1,000 yards as a quarterback in 2022, and the Jets have a legitimate backfield of runners that will absolutely keep defensive coordinators up at night.
