Here’s today’s riddle. What rookie had one less carry than fellow rookie Javonte Williams, was drafted 72 spots later, but actually had more rushing yards and better yards per carry average? Well, that would be none other than Williams’ fellow North Carolina teammate Michael Carter. 

When the New York Jets turned in Carters’ card with the 107th pick overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, they moved one step closer to finding clarity in their backfield. With the departure of Frank Gore, and his 203 touches, the Jets running backs’ room may be crowded, but it lacks a solid incumbent. 

Tevin Coleman: On the surface, the newly acquired free agent looks to be the RB1. In four years with the Atlanta Falcons, Coleman rushed the ball 528 times for 2,340 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a respectable 4.4 yards per rush average. He added another 92 receptions and 11 touchdowns through the air. However, the past two seasons in San Francisco have not been so productive for Coleman. His 165 rush attempts for 597 yards, six touchdowns and a 3.6 yards per attempt are not lead-back numbers. 

La’Mical Perine:  Drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Perine’s rookie season with the Jets was unspectacular. In 10 games he rushed 64 times for 232 yards, two touchdowns, and a 3.6 yards per rush average. The most telling stat, however, was Perine’s inability to create additional yardage as elite backs do. At 1.6 yards after contact and only two broken tackles all season, Perine lacks the explosive playmaking ability that an NFL team looks for in its RB1.

Ty Johnson: Rumour has it that Johnson and Carter are really making that hard push in training camp to come out on top of the Jets running back depth chart. In 2020, Johnson appeared in 11 games with the Jets rushing 54 times for 254 yards and one touchdown. But as with Perine, Johnson lacks the ability to extend running plays. He averaged 1.8 yards after contact and managed to break only a solitary tackle all season. 

The 2020 Jets were the worst in the NFL offensively (32nd overall) and were dead last in the league in rushing touchdowns. It helped lead to the firing of head coach Adam Gase and the hiring of Robert Saleh. New offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur joins Saleh, both of whom learned under 49er head coach Kyle Shanahan, and will look to develop an offense similar to the ones the 49ers ran during their tenure. And in that scheme, the running backs are vital to the success of it. 

Carter is the perfect fit. He rushed 514 times in college for 3,404 yards, 22 touchdowns and a healthy 6.6 yards per rush attempt average. He added 82 more receptions for 656 yards, six more touchdowns, and an average of 8.0 yards per reception. But what sets Carter apart from the rest of the Jets’ running backs, what makes him a potential elite NFL running back, is both his explosiveness and his ball security. In 2020, Carter rushed 157 times, gained an additional 702 yards after initial contact (4.47 average per attempt) all without coughing up the ball even once. That is what an NFL coach dreams about and that is exactly what is going to make Michael Carter RB1 for the New York Jets in 2021 and beyond. 

The post The Jets will run with rookie Carter appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Sukhwant Singh

Intro

Elijah Moore couldn’t have asked for a better spot to have been drafted to. The New York Jets are on the way up. Yes, you heard that right, barring any injuries to its core players, this team is on the rise. The new coaching staff led by head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur will be installing their version of the West Coast system.

Falling into the second round of the 2021 draft, the Jets wasted no time in scooping up Moore. Moore had a fantastic junior season at Ole Miss. He amassed 86 receptions, 1193 yards, and 8 TDs. Moore also made the 2020 Consensus All-America team. In fact, the 1193 receiving yards were second in the SEC only to Heisman trophy winner DeVonta Smith.

Now, onto why the Jets are a great fit for Moore and vice versa. Drafting rookie quarterback Zach Wilson with the second overall pick, the Jets needed to give Wilson weapons. They added Corey Davis and Keelan Cole in free agency. This is on top of already having Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder on the roster.

We all know that there are two types of best friends for a quarterback especially a young one. Either a tight end or slot wide receiver to work those short over the middle routes. This is where Moore excels. He is insanely good after the catch in the open field. This will help Wilson out tremendously to get rid of the ball quickly to a play-maker liker Moore.

Being that both Wilson and Moore are rookies, the two will develop an instant connection over the spring/summer both on and off the field. Moore has elite play-making abilities in the open field, exactly what the Jets have lacked over the last few years. Now, some of you will say what about Jamison Crowder, won’t he interfere with Moore’s development being both are slot wide receivers?

The answer to that question is a resounding, NO! The Jets will save 10m by cutting Crowder and that money can be allocated elsewhere, primarily in getting help in the secondary. The reason why Crowder was not cut earlier in the off-season was because the Jets did not expect Moore to fall to them in the second round.

The Jets also still have Braxton Berrios on the team as well, who is also a cheaper option to keep compared to Crowder. Moore will have all the opportunity to become to take over the slot position and become the star receiver the Jets have been looking for since Keyshawn Johnson!

Fantasy Impact

Expect Moore to put up big numbers playing in the West Coast system. This system is tailor-made to suit his skill-set with play-action passing and taking those over the middle shots. I really do believe Moore barring any injuries is set to have a big year and great career ahead of him. He will be the more electric and dynamic version of Crowder.

Now in the fantasy football drafts, Moore will fall down the charts because he is playing on the Jets. There aren’t many believers out there in the Jets especially offensively. However, don’t be fooled by these assumptions. Wilson and Moore will form a good tandem for years to come and I fully seeing that taking off this year. Crowder put up 59 receptions, 699 yards and 6 TDs in 12 games. Expect Moore to beat those numbers easily and then some.

Conclusion

Moore set to dominate and the Jets for once have been fortunate to be on the right side of things. Growing pains will always occur to young players, especially rookies. I trust the Jets coaching staff will put Moore in the best situations to allow him to excel and bring him along slowly.

The post Rookie Elijiah Moore is in a fantastic spot appeared first on Pro Football Mania.