After playing next to an 11-year veteran of trench warfare in the NFL in right tackle Morgan Moses last season, Alijah Vera-Tucker now finds himself taking snaps next to rookie RT Armand Membou.

"I feel really fast, quick and comfortable out there, going into my second year, staying in one position," AVT said after being anchored at right guard. "So right now I feel really comfortable. And playing with Membou makes it easy, too.

"He has such raw talent, and then I feel like he's almost, kind of ahead of his game and in terms of technique and then knowing what to do and knowing how to execute a play."

Around camp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center there's much excitement and anticipation surrounding an offensive line that has the potential to be among the elite in the league. After trotting out the veterans Moses and Tyron Smith to start last season, the Green & White have Membou (the No. 11 overall selection in April's draft) on one side and second-year man Olu Fashanu (also a first-round pick who was a strong replacement when Smith was injured) on the wings, to go with AVT and LG John Simpson and either Joe Tippmannor Josh Myers snapping the ball to QB Justin Fields.

AVT, 26, is preparing for his fifth season with the Green & White after being selected in the first round (No. 14 overall) out of USC in the 2021 NFL Draft. And finally, after bounding from right to left, guard to tackle, AVT started and played in 15 games last season after two previous seasons limited by injuries to a combined 12 games. The group that is likely to start the regular season, against visiting Pittsburgh on Sept. 7, plus a strong backing band of professionals, excites Vera-Tucker.

Can the group be among the best?

"I think there's potential for that," AVT said. "I definitely see in the future me saying that, right now I don't ever like future comments until you get out of camp, and then nothing's like that first game. I'm saying where everything's got to click and all 11 players got to be on their assignment. So we'll see."

Last season certainly did not go the way the Jets wanted or expected when it came to the run game. For AVT and the guys on the offensive line looking ahead to the 2025 season the word from coaches is that the three-headed monster at running back (Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis) plus Fields are likely to drive the offensive scheme.

"I think the coaching staff has told us straight up we're going to run the ball," AVT said. "I'm saying that's different from the past. And the offensive line, we like that, obviously we like hearing that, run the ball and get the defense tired out. So then the play actions open up, and then get a couple drop backs in there for G Dub [WR Garrett Wilson] and all other receivers to do their thing. The run game is very important to any offense. Any team knows that. So we got to go out there and execute."

During Monday's press conference, it was pointed out to AVT that the Jets had the fewest rushing attempts in the league last season.

"To be honest, I had no clue that we were ... that that was a stat," he said. "But looking back at it, I could see that now. Just with the type of offense we were running. But this year I think the emphasis is on running. Run the ball and execute at the highest level possible."