One Thought on Every Top Jets Rookie Heading Into Week 7

Not a ton has gone right for the Jets so far this season. The team is 2-4 and has been outcoached in key moments of almost every game.

Despite the doom and gloom, one part of the Jets should have fans thrilled about the future.

New York's rookie class has excelled in several key areas. The Jets spent three first-round picks on pass catchers and pass rushers. In the later rounds, it was about bolstering the defense in April's draft. The early returns couldn't be better. Almost every rookie has come away with a standout game, play, or stretch that underscores Gang Green's bright future.

Here's what the Jets are saying about some of their top rookies' early success.

David Bailey, DE

The mark of a special defensive player is that, when an opposing team is taking him away from making an impact, he's still able to make a play that can change the outcome of the game.

New England chipped David Bailey for most of the day on Sunday. He wasn't able to do much as a pass rusher. That said, he still made an impact, forcing a fumble early in the third quarter (h/t NFL) to give the Jets a chance to tie the game.

Head coach Aaron Glenn was encouraged (but not surprised) by what he saw.

"That's something again that we felt like he would be able to do for us when it comes to being disruptive," Glenn said. " The thing is, we hope that we continue to get those things."

The fact that the Jets offense could only muster a field goal is irrelevant. The second overall pick remains an excellent player who is only getting better.

Omar Cooper Jr., WR

What. A. Debut.

The 30th overall pick saw action in the first quarter of the first game of the season for the Jets, caught a 30-yard pass, and promptly sprained his ankle. He had been on short-term injured reserve for the last month.

On Sunday, Omar Cooper Jr. played his first full game in the NFL. The stat line? Six catches, 103 yards, one touchdown. He could have had two, but his first score of the day was called back because of a penalty.

For (Omar) to come out in his first outing and have over 100 yards, I thought that was outstanding. He's going to be a player that's going to help us as we continue to progress during the season.

Aaron Glenn on Omar Cooper Jr.

This was an awesome game from a really good college player. If Cooper continues playing like this, he will be a major weapon in New York's offense.

D'Angelo Ponds, CB

When discussing D'Angelo Ponds, context is extremely important.

This is a player who spent most of his college career as an outside corner. Despite his size, he was one of the best in college football. Then, he was drafted by the Jets, who wanted him to learn the nickel—a completely different position in the secondary.

Unfortunately, Ponds misses his entire rookie training camp, so there aren't any reps to learn and build off of. Instead, he is thrust into game and practice scenarios without a true baseline on what to do for his new position.

That explains Ponds's struggles, right? So far, he has allowed 3 catches for 48 yards and a TD on 4 targets despite playing just 17 coverage snaps, and he also has two penalties. His 25.0 coverage grade ranks dead last among 160 cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.

Still, Glenn has a logical take on the situation.

"When it comes to playing time, I always say you have to earn it," Glenn said. "You have players playing now that are fighting to continue to play. (D'Angelo is) playing nickel and outside corner. But each week he's getting better and better."

Ponds was targeted whenever he was on the field on Sunday. It's not fair to truly judge him until he gets a feel for the defensive scheme and for the NFL in general.

Darrell Jackson Jr., DT

It was a quiet game for the fourth-round rookie defensive tackle. Darrell Jackson Jr. had a quarterback hit and three tackles, but wasn't as productive as he was against the Browns in Week 5. That said, Jets defensive coordinator Brian Duker is still high on the rookie defender.

"(Darrell) has grown a lot," Duker said. "He has certainly always been big and strong, but now he's kind of doing a better job of playing with the technique and doing those things."

Jackson is graded as an above-average interior lineman for the Jets so far this season, with a 62.6 PFF grade that ranks 51st among 128 qualified players at his position. As the year goes on, he is going to get plenty of chances to stand out.

Kenyon Sadiq, TE

Sunday was a quiet day for Kenyon Sadiq in the same way it was for Jackson. The first-round tight end caught just one pass for 12 yards. He was also targeted a second time, but the pass was poor and intercepted on the play.

Still, the word on Sadiq is the same one the Jets have been talking about for over a month:

(Kenyon's) a guy that's athletically on a different level than a lot of TEs in this league, & he's extremely intelligent. We want to continue to get him to grow & continue to get him the ball. We saw what he can do.

Aaron Glenn in September 2026

The Jets need to do a better job of distributing the ball to their tight ends, but Sadiq remains a quality cog in this offense.

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