The No Jets rookie has played in every game this season in addition to pointer Braden Mann. Five have spent time on the injured reserve, one on the reserve list / non-football injuries and one will end the season on the reserve list / COVID-19.
Nothing from his first season in the NFL has been normal, from a virtual season to playing in empty stadiums to calling a trailer in his locker room.
But Joe Douglas may have something to work on. The Jets general manager’s first draft phase has shown signs of promise as they enter the final of Sunday’s season against the Patriots, offering hope that it can help provide the basis for change in the coming years.
“This is something we definitely look forward to doing,” rookie singer Bryce Hall said Friday. “We still have a long way to go before we can say it comfortably, but this young group of guys are proud of that, just being able to be part of the change and make a positive impact on this organization.”
The Jets season will end in Week 17 for the tenth year in a row, and with it will come a low season full of changes – starting with an expected change in head coach, a lot of uncertainty in the quarterback and more list changes. But while the Jets rookies haven’t had much of a win this year, coach Adam Gase believes they have benefited by learning from the veterans and seeing how they’ve handled a tough season.
“It seems to me that our young players have improved because they have understood how to practice all this,” Gase said. “They understand how they have to present themselves and be prepared for the day of the match and then, when they have their chances, they have to make the most of it. I think there are a lot of young guys who have a lot of valuable playing time this year, but I also think they also have a lot of valuable training time.
“I’ve been on teams where things aren’t going well and the guys miss out on opportunities to improve because they say,‘ Oh, this season is a loss and I’m not going to get anything out of it. ’When the guys understand that understanding,‘ Hey, I’m getting better for that as an individual player, “that’s huge. It’s so beneficial for a young player, because you only get so many shots at this thing, you only get so many replays. All reps are so valuable to all these guys, especially rookies, “especially without a low season, no real training ground, no pre-season games. Everything we do is fundamental to the development of these boys.”
Hall, a fifth-round pick who has played every shot in the last five games after returning from a serious ankle injury in Virginia, is one of nine newcomers Douglas incorporated in April. Seven of them have played this season, with Hall, left-back Mekhi Becton and wide receiver Denzel Mims, who are already starting and Mann has a lot of action.
Safety Ashtyn Davis (foot) and runner La’Mical Perine (COVID-19) already played their last game of the season and defensive end. Jabari Zuniga has struggled to get time to play after being left behind by a quad injury on the training ground. But the Jets could have pieces to build from their 2020 draft phase to a crucial offseason, which could even feel a little closer to normal.
“This experience has allowed us to get very close and I feel it has contributed to us being able to contribute, which a lot of young people do,” Hall said.
“I think the biggest jumps usually go from the first to the second year. … So it’s extremely exciting to be able to really attack, know now what to expect and prepare accordingly. “