By Dom C
With OTA’s in progress and mandatory minicamp still a couple of weeks away, what better time
than now to attempt to get into the minds of Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh and predict the
New York Jets final roster. Obviously, this is said partly tongue-in-cheek as there will be plenty
more moves for all the NFL rosters before the regular season starts.
Barring injury, if there is one positional group that is rather solidified top to bottom in terms of
depth on the NY Jets roster, it would be the Jets running backs. The running back depth chart is healthy as it stands now, containing the likes of Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson, La’Mical Perine, Zonovan “Bam” Knight, and FB Nick Bawden.
With some good coaching and Lady Luck on our side in regard to injuries, come September our final depth chart for the RB room may be built from these players.
The true X-Factor trait that Carter possesses is his elite contact balance.
As listed, it is a very young positional group – that alone could be either a blessing or a curse.
Is the next Curtis Martin already on our roster? Are we setting Zach Wilson and the offense up
for failure with a gluttony of inexperience?
Time will tell which way we lean in regard to those extreme outcomes, but while we wait, I think I’ll take a deeper dive into these players and see which of the running backs could make the NY Jets final roster.
Michael Carter
2021 stats: 147 carries 639 yards 4.3 YPC 4 TD, 36 receptions 325 yards
2022 status: Lock for the roster – will have a big role in the backfield committee
23-year-old Michael Carter was more than a pleasant surprise for the Jets last year.
A 4th-round pick from the 2021 draft class, Carter made his presence felt on what was overall a very
lackluster offense. With just under 1000 combined yards in 14 games played, Carter has won
the Jets fan base over with his positive demeanor off the field and smooth and exciting abilities
on it.
At 5’8’’ and 200 pounds, Carter most definitely plays bigger than his physical stats show on
paper. Carter is a very smooth, almost effortless runner who has the uncanny ability to allow
his blocks to develop and glide through the holes.
On top of the vision and patience he shows when handling the rock, Carter has already
demonstrated high-level footwork and agility which allows him to cut on a dime and get by
defenders in his very young career.
The true X-Factor trait that Carter possesses is his elite contact balance. With 345 yards after contact and 13 broken tackles in 2021, Carter is always gaining positive yards and is a hard man to get down on the first get-go.
For a back who is on the smaller side in stature, Carter has proven his effectiveness when given
the opportunity to touch the football. Michael Carter received 20 or more touches in 12 of the
14 games he played in last season.
He graded 26th out of 64 qualified RBs on PFF in total offense with a grade of 71.1 and 18th out of 64 in overall rushing grade with a PFF grade of 77.3.
Carter also did a great job acting as a security blanket for Zach Wilson last season who targeted
him 55 times. Of those 55 targets, Michael Carter hauled in 36 of them, showing reliable hands
and above-average understanding and timing in the passing game. Carter also broke an additional
7 tackles on passes that he caught.
Carter’s game is not flawless – with all the good things said about his size there also comes the
part that his size and style of play come with limitations. As good as he is, Michael Carter’s
best role in the NFL is being part of a running back by committee.
More than likely, he won’t be able to shoulder the load as a true workhorse-type 3-down
running back. The fact is, he has always played in a committee-type approach (both in HS and
in college) so the questions of him truly assuming the lion’s share of work have already been
answered – if we are honest with ourselves.
Carter also needs to drastically improve his pass-blocking. In 53 attempts in 2021, Carter
provided only a 43% pass-block win rate, ranking him in the bottom third of all eligible running
backs (per PFF). Although he shows enough gumption to stick his neck out and willingly block,
the success rate needs to be better.
There was a stretch of games that Michael Carter missed with a couple of different injuries: a high
ankle sprain cost him three games and a concussion cost him a fourth. However you choose to
slice it, the best ability any NFL player can have is dependability – which has yet to be proven at
this level.
Taking all that into account, Michael Carter is an exciting player who is not only a lock for the
final 53-man roster but one that will be leaned on as the NY Jets offense looks to take a big step
in 2022. I personally can’t wait to see what Carter brings to the table this upcoming season.
Breece Hall
2021 stats (Iowa St): 253 carries 1,472 yards 5.82 YPC 20 TDs, 36 receptions 302 yards 3 TDs
2022 status: Lock for the roster, with a chance to handle the lion’s share of the backfield reps
It’s hard not to like what the Jets are building here, and truth be told, Breece Hall is a big part of
that excitement. Not since Curtis Martin, have we seen a running back in our stable with the skill
set that Breece Hall possesses. There is a darn good reason he was the first RB off the board in
the 2022 draft.
The traits are oozing – 5’11’’ tall, a solid 220 pounds with blazing 4.38 speed. With a strong
lower half and low center of gravity, Hall has the prototypical build to succeed at the position in
the NFL.
Hall excelled as a true workhorse back in college and was dominant – the offense
was almost literally clipped to his back, and he didn’t let them down.
The traits are oozing – 5’11’’ tall, a solid 220 pounds with blazing 4.38 speed. With a strong
lower half and low center of gravity, Hall has the prototypical build to succeed at the position in
the NFL.
Breece Hall is a smart, patient runner with excellent footwork that lets him maximize his vision
in the backfield. There are little to no wasted movements when you watch him run and he
epitomizes what it means to be a one-cut back, which is an ideal fit in the Jets’ zone-blocking
scheme.
Similar to his counterpart Michael Carter, Hall exemplifies elite contact balance – always
churning his legs, allowing him to breeze through would-be arm tacklers. Big and strong enough
to excel inside, Hall does his best work off-tackle. He can use that uncanny one-cut ability
to get into the second level only to kick it up a gear to run by the defense.
Hall offers enough in the passing game to be effective, although his route tree was limited in
college to the flat as a check-down or short angle routes. His hands are deceptively good, and
his high football IQ allows him to always be in a position to make a play after the reception.
Clearly, Joe Douglas and the Jets think highly of Breece Hall. Trading a 5th-round pick just to
move up a couple of spots and secure him is sufficient proof, but even more telling is the intel
that Joe Douglas was trying to get back into Round 1 to take him!
To me, that is the sign of commitment to bolstering the run game – players like Breece Hall make
that happen.
Jets fans will have to remember that he is still a rookie and will have to earn his playing time.
Part of earning that time will come by showing the staff he has the chops to be on the field in
all situations – especially in pass protection.
Breece Hall did not show in his college film a propensity to excel in pass protection. If we are
going to grade fairly, there is really only one way to look at it: he wasn’t asked to do it much.
Over 3 years at Iowa State, Breece Hall was only asked to stay home and protect the
quarterback on 64 plays.
There is effort provided, but a lot of the aforementioned reps resulted in cut blocks with Hall
lying face mask to ground. Though he had a decent success rate in the college ranks, it won’t fly
in the NFL. Hall will have to adjust quickly to the more complex protection calls in the NFL and
be coached up accordingly.
The pink elephant in the room when discussing Breece Hall is the fact that although young (just
turned 21 years old), he already has a lot of tread on his tires. In three years of college, Hall had
over 800 touches (over 700 carries) and almost 4700 yards from scrimmage. That is a lot of
wear and tear on the body, especially at the running back position, the one position that causes
players to break down at a more escalated rate.
Taking all that into consideration, Breece Hall is going to be asked to contribute and contribute
right from jump street. With the Jets’ offensive mindset of rotating their talent in and out to
keep them fresh, Hall and Michael Carter will be as exciting a 1-2 punch as any backfield has in
the NFL.
1300 yards from scrimmage is not out of the question for the rookie, the NFL needs to
be put on notice that Breece is officially in the house.
Tevin Coleman
2021 stats: 84 carries 356 yards, 4.2 YPC, 11 receptions 49 yards
2022 status: Likely to be part of the 53-man roster with limited offensive production
You can never have enough of “your guys” on a roster. Tevin Coleman is one of those guys for Saleh and company. A seasoned vet who can provide leadership and experience to a young core of running backs. He knows the offense inside and out.
Leadership has no age limitations.
Coleman, 29 years old and a 7-year vet in the NFL is the quintessential role player any good
offense needs.
You know the reps he provides, however limited are going to be effective and
he not only can spell your starter (or starters) for a drive or two but can come and play in a
pinch without a clear drop-off in productivity.
A very smooth strider, Coleman still offers breakaway speed at his age and can take it to the
house on any given play. The interesting stat from this past season – of his 356 rushing yards in
2021, 190 of them came after initial contact and he created 7 broken tackles. Not too shabby
for such a limited sample size.
Coleman offers the one thing that both of the players discussed still need to improve on – pass
protection. An innate understanding of the offensive scheme allows Coleman to be in the right
place at the right time and offer an extra layer of protection to Zach Wilson. He also knows
when to get free and be that security blanket in the flats on check downs.
Coleman plays a viable role on special teams as well – returning kicks when needed which only
adds to his overall value. Coleman signed a 1-year $1.5 million dollar contract for 2022. $400K has already been paid out to him in signing and roster bonuses.
It is likely that alone will assure he remains with the Jets in 2022. That isn’t a bad thing either,
because good vets are hard to find.
Zonovan “Bam” Knight
2021 stats (NC State): 140 carries 753 yards 5.4 YAC 3 TDs, 23 receptions 156 yards 2TD’s
2022 status: 4th RB on the 53-man roster with a worst-case scenario of starting the season on the practice squad.
Bam holds a soft spot in my heart and I must fully concede that this projection of him making
the final 53 is a lofty one. It is not for his lack of skills, as I think he is talented enough to make the final roster.
Let’s take a deeper look at what I saw in him.
He is extremely elusive – there isn’t a better term that fits Bam other than “shifty”.
He is extremely elusive – there isn’t a better term that fits Bam other than “shifty”. He quite
literally shifts his whole body to side-step tackles with ease. There are few
more dangerous in the open field (among this rookie RB class) than Knight.
Knight’s film shows on numerous occasions a well-executed stiff-arm as well as a phenomenal
spin move. Knight can flat out make tacklers miss – but that is not all his game offers.
Standing at 5’11’’ and weighing in at 210 pounds, Knight has prototypical size for the position.
Built with a low center of gravity, Bam runs hard enough to pound the rock between the
tackles. He has good straight-line speed and hits the hole with vigor.
The inside-outside running abilities coupled with his plant-and-go style of running make him a
perfect fit in our zone blocking scheme. He runs explosively, yet shows good patience that
allows plays to develop and possesses very good vision.
Although not asked to do it too much at NC State, Knight is a very good receiver and has shown
soft, reliable hands. Knight even lined out wide often, and he has great cuts and sharp enough route
breaks to be a dangerous receiver down the field. With his hands and great quickness, he is the
ideal 3rd down back in our offensive scheme.
What really differentiates Knight from some of the other RBs currently on the Jets roster will
be what he can contribute on special teams. His last two college seasons produced 30
combined kick/punt return attempts for 923 yards and 3 TDs.
Players with those abilities stick on NFL rosters and in my eyes, give him a true leg up over the likes of Ty Johnson or La’Mical Perine.
So, there you have it – a way-too-early projection for the New York Jets RB room in 2022.
There is a fair chance that the four players I discussed along with FB Nick Bawden are the guys
that make our final roster.
For a team committed to running the ball, the depth chart looks chock full of opportunity and has the talent to succeed.
We must remember that the best friend to a young QB is a solid running game and that is what
Joe Douglas is building here. Are 3300 yards from scrimmage combined from all of our running
backs out of the question? I think not.
Something smells different this year for our Jets, and I’m here for it.
Oh, how dark it was before the dawn…
Let’s go Jets…
Dom,
Thanks for all your efforts putting these together.
I enjoy reading them.
Dawn is breaking !
Go Jets
Great job laying out a very positive outlook for this room, Dom. As with basically the entire team, I’m very happy with this “Backfield Band of Brothers,” especially if we see Bam move up to replace Coleman. That kid, like Hall and Carter, is indeed something special.
Top site ,.. amazaing post ! Just keep the work on !