By 6 p.m. on Sunday Aug. 30, the Jets will trim their training camp roster down to the NFL's 53-man regular-season limit. For players on the bubble, the preseason is the time to put plays on tape and impress the coaching staff.
The Green & White already faced the Buccaneers and have preseason contests against the Steelers and Giants left for those players to prove they deserve a spot on the roster.
As training camp continues moving quickly, here's three players that are trying to make a dent on the 2026 Jets.
DL Jack Heflin
The Jets brought in a lot of size to their defensive line in free agency this offseason, but Jack Heflin is trying to show he can be an important depth piece to the room.
"I've had a solid camp, there's a lot of things I wish I could clean up [but] I feel like I've been pretty consistent for the most part," Heflin said after having 3 tackles and 1 TFL in the first preseason game. "I'm just trying to build days and focus on what's in front of me right now."
Heflin (6-3, 304), spent the last two seasons on Rams' practice squad and played in the 2025 regular-season finale where he registered two tackles. His NFL journey began in 2021 when he signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent after four seasons at northern Illinois and one at Iowa.
See the Jets players on the field during Tuesday's practice ahead of the Green & White's second preseason game against the Steelers Friday.
Before landing with the Rams, Heflin spent time with the Giants (2022), the XFL's Houston Roughnecks (2023) and the Saints (2023-2024), where he played with LB Demario Davis.
Heflin has had a strong training camp so far but is always wanting to constantly improve.
"I'm pretty hard on myself, being an undrafted guy being cut a bunch of times, you don't stick around by just like 'oh I was alright there,'" Heflin said. "I'm very critical of my tape and I feel every aspect of the game like my pass rush I want to get better at, that's always been my knock my whole career so I'm always working on it. The run game, that's where I feel like I excel."
CB Jordan Clark
Jordan Clark signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and feels more comfortable in the system during training camp in 2026.
"I think the transition from college to the league was a pretty big jump for me last year," Clark said. "But the game has slowed down, I think I have a better understanding of concepts and what people like to do in the league."
Clark had a six-year collegiate career between five years at Arizona State and his final season at Notre Dame in 2024. In the 57 games (31 starts) he played in, Clark totaled 176 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 26 PDs and 4 INTs.
He was activated off the practice squad for Week 13 and played the final six games. In the Jets' first preseason game, Clark had 6 tackles against the Buccaneers, one shy of S Jarius Monroe who led the team with 7.
"I think I've made some leaps from last year," Clark said. "I think I have a lot more confidence in myself, but obviously there's always room for improvement."
His goal is to play free and that's contingent on the preparation he does during the week.
"Be as physical as you can, be as disruptive as you can," Clark said about the keys to playing nickel. "Understand and see what's in front of you and just react, you know what I'm saying? Don't go out there thinking too much."
TE Chase Curtis
Chase Curtis has been having a strong training camp. Against the Buccaneers, the undrafted free agent out of TCU was targeted three times and made a reception for 10 yards in the fourth quarter.
Curtis played 43 games in his collegiate career (2020-25) and had 36 receptions for 413 yards and 4 TDs. Before TCU, Curtis played two seasons of baseball at Neosho County Community College.
During training camp, Curtis has seen a number of targets and on Tuesday he caught a few screen passes from QBs Geno Smith and Cade Klubnik. The Jets' tight end room has a lot of different play makers already, so the next two preseason games will be pivotal for Curtis.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to be here with these guys," tight end coach Alfredo Roberts said. "There's so many different personalities and skillsets, so we'll see how it works out at the end, but they really put in a lot of work to try to get themselves ready to go."
