During his training camp as head coach of the Jets, Aaron Glenn has set clear expectations for his players.

"All four days have been competitive," Glenn said. "And that's what we plan on doing every day. The nature of what we need to be is a highly competitive team. Our guys look forward to that, and they know that's the expectation anyway. If you can't live up to that, it's going to be hard to be part of what we're trying to build."

Glenn said he has a "locker room full of men that really want that," and that was put to the test during a 1-on-1 tackling drill that took place during the Jets' second open practice on Saturday.

"We did it in OTAs, and it's something I believe in," Glenn said. "It's really just a precursor to what's going to happen when we get to tackling, because we are going to tackle. And the guys are ready for it. As you see, they were energized. They know what's coming. It's fun, but you're also getting a chance to teach. You're getting a chance to work on things that you have to work on. This league is about making open-field tackles. And I think we all know it. It's a spacious league right now. So, the more you can make tackles in space, the better we are going to be as a team."

The drill can be traced back to Glenn's time in Detroit. Though he said he has modified it to fit his style, the teaching points have remained the same -- focusing on the fundamentals.

"I love the drill," he said. "It gets the players excited. You get a chance to teach, to work on the things that you have to work on to be good as far as tackling. And also offensively, eluding guys in space."

Glenn said there are certain matchups that he wants to see during drills like this, but players have jumped at every opportunity to be part of the action -- a testament to the buy-in and commitment to self-improvement players have spoken about.

"It's very fun," RB Breece Hall said of the drill. "There's advantages and disadvantages for the offense and defense because the defense has to try to stay lateral for the whole time. For us, we don't have that much space to maneuver, but that's how it is in the game too. Right now, we don't have pads on so they can just tag us off and push us, but once we get the pads on, it's like ok, all you have to do is make them miss a little bit, get a stiff arm up. But for me, I'm always going up against Quincy [Williams]. I go against [Andre] Cisco and Jamien Sherwood. The coaches want the best on the best so that's how it's going to be every day."

Fans saw the drill end in dramatic fashion with one of those key matchups. Star cornerback Sauce Gardner got a stop against star receiver Garrett Wilson, and cheers from the defense and the crowd followed.

"It's a really good drill for both sides," Glenn said. "It's something we're going to do quite a bit."

Justin Fields Returns for Solid 7-on-7 Work
Justin Fields took another step in his progression on Saturday when he took reps during 7-on-7 work. Fields executed during his first opportunity back -- connecting with Garrett Wilson, Mason Taylor, Tyler Johnson, Braelon Allen, Xavier Gipson and Brandon Smith for seven completions. Fields also later found rookie Arian Smith, but the catch was ruled out of bounds by officials. The strike to Johnson was a safety splitter as Johnson extended his arms and corralled the Fields pass for a huge gain between safeties Tony Adams and Andre Cisco.

"[We're] just trying to ease him in," HC Aaron Glenn said of Fields. … "I thought he did a good job in the 7-on-7. The thing is, he has a ways to go until we get him out there. We're going to make sure we keep the protocol going to make sure he's ready."

Tyrod Taylor then took some reps, completing two consecutive passes to Jamaal Pritchett to close out the period. The defense also stepped up -- CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse grabbed an interception on a ball intended for Brandon Smith, and safety Dean Clark made a strong play on the ball on a pass intended for Quentin Skinner.

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Second-year RB Braelon Allen (6-1, 235) displayed his athleticism, catching a short pass from Brady Cook and then exploding up the sideline for what have been likely a 60+ yard catch and run. The big back found space after Cook faked a handoff to him and then let No. 0 slip out of the backfield. … Energizer bunny Tony Adams had an active morning that included a strip of Breece Hall that resulted in a takeaway. … Tyrod Taylor continued to have success targeting Garrett Wilson, rolling left and hitting the wideout along the for first down yardage. … One of the most highlight-worthy plays of the day came early on during the first team period -- Taylor threw a perfectly placed ball to wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who made an impressive grab with Sauce Gardner nearby in coverage. In 7-on-7 work, Gardner registered a PD that nullified a Taylor connection to Reynolds. … After an uneven performance by the Jets' kickers on Thursday, both Harrison Mevis and Caden Davis bounced back on Saturday. During the first round of kicks, Davis converted on all three attempts while Mevis missed his final kick. During the second kicking portion of practice, Mevis made all seven kicks while Davis missed just one. Mevis also converted on his field goal attempt during an end-of-game situational period to close out practice. …. … Rookie Azareye'h Thomas intercepted a Cook pass. … Payton Page had a strong practice, applying strong pressure and making several key stops. … Will McDonald IV continue his dominant camp performance with a standout spin move on rookie Armand Membou and produced 2 would-be sacks.