Last season the Jets had one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, and as HC Aaron Glenn has said many times "it's a young man's game." That, however, did not dissuade GM Darren Mougey and Glenn from adding key veterans like QB Geno Smith, LB Demario Davis S Minkah Fitzpatrick, DT David Onyemata and others.

One of the interesting quirks of this year's roster as the Green & White prepare for the final two preseason games and their Week 1 opener at Tennessee is the status of young veteran LB Jamien Sherwood. At 25 years old, Sherwood is about to embark on his sixth season with the team, which makes him the second-longest tenured player after long snapper Thomas Hennessy's soon-to-be 10th season.

"Sometimes I think about it," Sherwood said this week. "It's a blessing just to be here that long, to be one of the longest guys, but you know I intend to stay here as long as possible."

The Jets selected Sherwood, a safety at Auburn, in the fifth round (No. 146 overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft. He made the transition to linebacker, and after injury limited him to 5 games in his rookie season, Sherwood came into his own in 2024 when he recorded 158 total tackles and led the league with 98 solo efforts. He followed that with 154 last season.

"When I first got here, I was very quiet," he said. "I didn't talk to many people, and then, maybe in my third year, one of my best friends on the team happened to have an injury, and he had to be let go. So that forced me to start branching out to other people, making more friends. I started getting more comfortable. At one point I was the youngest guy in the linebacker room, probably for three years.

"So that fourth year, there were guys that would come in undrafted. I could teach them the defense. I would say as it evolved, I've just been friendlier, I guess, just more outgoing, willing to extend my hand and talk to people, ask people how their day is going and how practice is going and stuff like that."

The 'New' Guy on the O-Line
Last season, the Jets' offensive line earned the rare distinction of having started the same five guys -- (left to right) Olu Fashanu, John Simpson,, Josh Myers, Joe Tippmann and rookie Armand Membou -- in all 17 games. Simpson left in free agency, returning to Baltimore, and has been replaced by Dylan Parham who signed in free agency after four seasons with Las Vegas.

"Dylan's awesome," said left tackle Olu Fashanu, who sets up next to Parham at guard. "I mean, first thing off the bat, he's a super smart guy. I've said this multiple times, but we're at the point where when we're out on the field, we don't even need to communicate with each other. We're automatically in the same headspace. We both know what the other guy has, and it's really good to have a guy like that. Just because that just takes away one aspect of the game you don't have to worry about."

Edge Joseph Ossai Sees 'the Dog' in David Bailey
Edge Joseph Ossai, who signed with the Jets in free agency after four seasons with the Bengals, spent time on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp. During that spell he had a unique vantage point from which to evaluate David Bailey, the Jets' top draft pick in April.

"He has a fire to him that I really love," Ossai said. "I was just saying a lot of rookies, especially when they're that talented, sometimes they get a little wide-eyed by being in the league, and it takes a bit of time for that dog to come out of them. But from Day 1, I've been able to see that dog and that ferociousness, and he's not afraid to let somebody know about it. And it's been great watching him. A lot of dogs in that [D-line] room for sure."

Ossai, who was born in Nigeria and moved to the US with his family when he was 10 years old, is one of a handful of Jets players with roots in the West African nation. That group includes LT Olu Fashanu, edge Kingsley Enagbare , DT David Onyemata, OT Chukwuma Okorafor, RB/KR Kene Nwangwu and Paschal Ekeji (the team's international pathway player).

Omar Cooper Jr.: 'Good Nuance in His Game'
Over his 21 snaps (35%) on offense and pair of receptions for 31 yards (15.5 per), rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr. showed his good hands, precise route running and ability to pick up yards after a catch in the Jets' first preseason game, last week against Tampa Bay.

Cooper impressed late in the second quarter on a catch from QB Bailey Zappe when he snagged a short pass along the home sideline and sprinted 26 yards to the Bucs' 20-yard line -- leading to a Cade York field goal.

OC Frank Reich is high on the team's third first-round selection in April's NFL Draft out of defending national champion Indiana.

"Omar is, I think he's going to be a great run-after-catch guy," Reich said. "He's a really good route runner. He's strong. He's got strength in his body, and you know we saw that on tape. You see the run after catch on tape, but yet he's still a fast player. I feel like he has a good feel for the passing game, and has good nuance in his game for a young player. I think he's still learning, but looking forward I think he's going to be an explosive player."