Teams with a new head coach, three new coordinators and a new starting QB don't always thunder from the starting grid. Then again, sometimes they do. And the Jets have a group of finely tuned veteran engines mixed in among the young, promising hotrods to do damage in Aaron Glenn's first race as an NFL head coach.

On offense, highly productive WR Garrett Wilson is reestablishing his Ohio State connection with Justin Fields, while explosive Breece Hall leads an intriguing RB by committee and rookie Mason Taylor adds a promising dimension at TE, all working with a line that blends youth, experience and talent to keep the chains moving.

While the offense has been getting the lion's share of attention, it would be a mistake to overlook the Jets defense, which features standouts at all three levels — Quinnen Williams and Will McDonald IV up front, team-MVP-quality LBs Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams, and consummate corner Sauce Gardner. As veteran DC Steve Wilks says: "We have a lot of stars on this defense, but really, the defense is the star."

Here is a breakdown of the 53 players on the Jets active roster as they rev up for the season ahead.

QUARTERBACKS

NEW VET: Justin Fields (5th year). RETURNEE: Tyrod Taylor (15th).

SUMMARY: The ball is in Fields' court, and the fairly quiet, freaky quick QB seems unfazed by being with his third team and offense in three years. In fact, as Fields has said, "I think I can be great, and that's been the goal for me my whole career." His passing accuracy, rating and drive efficiency have improved steadily every year since he was the Bears' 11th overall selection in '21. And he is one of the three best rushing QBs in the past decade with a career 6.00 yards/carry. Taylor, rehabbing from minor preseason knee surgery, is the steady veteran backup who in limited action last year set personal season marks in accuracy (17-of-22, 77.3%) and rating (128.6) and directed the Jets to TDs on all three of his drives.

RUNNING BACKS

RETURNEES: Breece Hall (4th year), Braelon Allen (2nd), Isaiah Davis (2nd), Kene Nwangwu (5th). NEW VET: FB Andrew Beck (6th).

SUMMARY: Hall remains the chairman of this committee of versatile backs. Even though some of his key metrics dipped last year, he retained his big-play dimension — in his first three seasons, he had 7 plays of 50-plus yards (4 runs, 3 receptions) that has already set the franchise RBs mark. Allen was one of the league's best short-yardage backs, converting all 9 of his 3rd-and-1 runs. Davis packed a gaudy 5.8 yards/carry and joined Hall and Allen as the first trio of Jets backs to each score at least 1 rush TD and 1 receiving TD in a season since 1989. Nwangwu is also dangerous at RB and especially as a KR. Beck displayed his receiving skills this summer in addition to his other FB traits.

WIDE RECEIVERS

RETURNEES: Garrett Wilson (4th year), Allen Lazard (7th), Xavier Gipson (3rd). NEW VET: Josh Reynolds (9th). NEWCOMER: Arian Smith (rookie—Rd. 4).

SUMMARY: Wilson is already the only Jet with 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in 3 consecutive seasons, all done from the start of his career, and he appears focused on doing it a fourth time. Other vets in the WR room: Lazard improved in his second Green & White season and wanted to stay with the new regime, and Reynolds, who played for Detroit for 2½ seasons while Glenn was DC, brings production and savvy. Gipson remains an effective switch-hitter at WR and kick returner. The speedy Smith improved through August on his routes and hands.

TIGHT ENDS

RETURNEE: Jeremy Ruckert (4th year). NEW VETS: Stone Smartt (4th), Jelani Woods (2nd). NEWCOMER: Mason Taylor (rookie—Rd. 2).

SUMMARY: Ruckert, the senior member of the TE room, intends to not only block like a brick wall but also improve on his season bests in receptions (18) and yards (151) and score his first NFL touchdown. Taylor is the hot newcomer with the two Pro Football Hall of Fame relatives (dad Jason and uncle Zach Thomas) and a personal 28-game receiving streak at LSU that he would like to extend as one of Justin Fields' sure-handed receiving options. Smartt looked sharp on his 24-yard receiving TD in the preseason opener. Late waiver addition Woods (6-7, 253) has the size as both a blocker and receiver.

OFFENSIVE LINE

RETURNEES: G John Simpson (6th year), G Alijah Vera-Tucker (5th year), C Joe Tippmann (3rd), OL Max Mitchell (4th), OL Xavier Newman (3rd), T Olu Fashanu (2nd). NEW VETS: OL Chukwuma Okorafor (7th), C Josh Myers (5th). NEWCOMERS: T Armand Membou (rookie—Rd. 1), T Esa Pole (rookie—waivers).

SUMMARY: Working from the first-round bookends in, the promising O-line features Fashanu settling in at LT in his second season while Membou has shown great promise at RT. RG is manned by the versatile Vera-Tucker and LG by the rock-solid Simpson. The C battle was waged all summer between incumbent Tippmann and former Green Bay starter Myers, and AG didn't announce the winner until this week: It's Tippmann, with Myers becoming a valued interior backup. Okorafor is an experienced swing tackle, while Mitchell and Newman have also displayed their line versatility and waiver pickup Pole is massive at 6-7, 319.

DEFENSIVE LINE

RETURNEES: Quinnen Williams (7th year), EDGE Jermaine Johnson (4th), Micheal Clemons (4th), EDGE Will McDonald IV (3rd), EDGE Braiden McGregor (2nd), Leonard Taylor III (2nd). NEW VETS: Harrison Phillips (8th), Jay Tufele (5th), Jowon Briggs (2nd). NEWCOMER: Tyler Baron (rookie—Rd. 5).

SUMMARY: Williams, the three-time Pro Bowler, needs 11 sacks to reach 50 for his career. And if he were to match double digits with the young, relentless McDonald, who led the Jets with 10.5 sacks last year, and Johnson, back from his Achilles tear for a planned return to his '23 Pro Bowl form, the Jets could have their first 10-sack triplets since the late Sixties. Clemons is back after starting all 17 games last year. The Green & White also need to stop the run, and August trades brought them 310-pound widebodies Phillips and Briggs to help clog opponents' A-gaps. Tufele had one of the big plays of preseason, a fumble recovery TD. The DL rotation includes returnees McGregor and Taylor and draftee Baron.

LINEBACKERS

RETURNEES: Quincy Williams (7th year), Jamien Sherwood (5th), Marcelino McCrary-Ball (2nd). NEW VET: Cam Jones (3rd). NEWCOMER: Kiko Mauigoa (rookie—Rd. 5).

SUMMARY: The post-C.J. Mosley mid-level of the defense is in good hands. Sherwood moved seamlessly to MLB starter last season for the injured captain and led all NFL front-seven players with 95 solo tackles. Williams excelled in '24 at living behind the opponents' line — unofficially, he racked up 23 tackles for loss/no gain on rushes/receptions, most by a Jets defender in the last 30 seasons. Also making the roster: 'backers and ST contributors McCrary-Ball, Mauigoa and late waiver acquisition Jones.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

RETURNEES: CB Sauce Gardner (4th year), CB Michael Carter II (5th), S Isaiah Oliver (8th), S Tony Adams (4th), CB Qwan'tez Stiggers (2nd). NEW VETS: S Andre Cisco (5th), CB Brandon Stephens (5th). NEWCOMERS: CB Azareye'h Thomas (rookie—Rd. 3), S Malachi Moore (rookie—Rd. 4).

SUMMARY: Gardner seeks to restart his and the secondary's takeaway machine after he had 3 INTs in his three Jets seasons, although his All-Pro caliber remains widely known. Stephens brings his physical play to the CB role opposite Sauce that D.J. Reed held for the past three years. Cisco comes back home to start at S alongside Adams. Wilks has options at corner in Carter at nickel plus the versatile Oliver as well as Stiggers and Thomas, and at safety in Moore, who made a favorable summer impression.

SPECIALISTS

RETURNEE: LS Thomas Hennessy (9th year). NEW VET: K Nick Folk (18th). NEWCOMER: P Austin McNamara (1st).

SUMMARY: Folk, 40, has aged like fine wine since his last field goals for the Jets on New Year's Day 2017 — from 2020-24, he converted 92.3% of his FG tries (144 of 156), most accurate in the league among the 23 kickers with at least 100 attempts. McNamara was third among NFL punters this preseason with a 46.2-yard net average. Hennessy remains the unshakable LS and, since 2017, leads all NFL snappers with 27 total tackles.