The Jets are a week into training camp and several players are already making some noteworthy plays. After five practices and two with pads, here are 3 early camp standouts.
CB Brandon Stephens
Once the pads came on this week, Brandon Stephens entered the conversation. He strung together two solid practices on Monday and Tuesday, primarily matched up against WRs Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell.
Aaron Glenn has praised Stephens for his improved ball awareness as he looks for the CB, who is starting his sixth NFL season, to be more consistent.
On Monday, Stephens forced an incompletion by knocking the ball out of Wilson's hands as they fell to the ground. Stephens said "there was less room for error" in slick conditions and he fought for the PD on the Geno Smith well-placed ball.
And on Tuesday, Stephens was positioned well, so that when LB Jamien Sherwood deflected a Smith pass intended for TE Mason Taylor, Stephens came down with the interception. Through five practices, Stephens has tallied multiple PDs.
"I think throughout the offseason, he did a really good job of working on [ball awareness]," Glenn said Tuesday. "Just the consistency of him doing that is only going to help him and he's improving in that area."
WR Adonai Mitchell
If you're wondering how Adonai Mitchell became one of Geno Smith's early go-to targets in training camp, you can thank Mitchell's short trip to the Sunshine State earlier this summer.
Smith trained down in Florida and Mitchell, among some other teammates, made the trip as well to get extra reps in with their QB.
"The sun was on the field with us, I'm telling you, it was so hot," Mitchell said before explaining what he picked up from Smith. "I mean, yeah, just understanding his mind, understanding the way he thinks, understanding the way he sees the game and vice versa. Him understanding how I see the game. Anytime you can get on the same page with a quarterback, it will always be great."
Mitchell is more comfortable than when he started with Jets midway through last season and it has shown with his quick start to camp. On Saturday during the NFL's Back Together Weekend, Mitchell caught 2 TDs.
Rookie Edge David Bailey
It didn't take long for David Bailey to show off his pass-rushing prowess.
In practice No. 2, Bailey, the No. 2 selection in the draft, had 3 unofficial sacks. Since the pads have come on, it's been fun to watch him line up against Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu.
"I feel like there are guys that are just naturally meant to be edge rushers, and he's one of those guys," Fashanu said. "His rush angles are a lot different than what I've gone against and I feel like, right now, he's still learning a lot, but you can tell he's going to be a really good player from day one."
Bailey met with reporters earlier this week and said getting a sack is the "best feeling" and last season he tied for the FBS lead with 14.5 sacks.
Next week will provide Bailey and the Jets another challenge: joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the first preseason game against Tampa will follow on Aug. 14th.
