Jets Have a Shot at Huge Return on Trio Free Agent Gambles

It’s still early on in training camp for the Jets, but a trio of free agent additions look to be offering Gang Green a shot at a huge return on investment.

Defensive end Takk McKinnley and defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu seem to be having their names called out on a regular basis for making splash plays.  In the case of McKinley, he’s running with the 2’s and 3’s which shouldn’t be ignored.

What shouldn’t be ignored however, is the level at which he is playing no matter who he’s lining up against.  McKinley was named one our top performers out at camp today and has also earned high praise from the beat.

And let’s not pretend McKinley hasn’t always been a player with a high ceiling.  Entering the league as a first round draft pick (26th overall) of the Atlanta Falcons, he racked up thirteen sacks over his first two seasons.

From that point on though, his production slipped significantly, managing just 7 sacks over the next four years with three different clubs.

Despite doing plenty of losing in recent years, one thing we’ve seen from this coaching staff is the ability to get the most out of their defensive players.  If they can do that with McKinley, he could go from camp hopeful to regular contributor.

Then there’s Kinlaw and Fotu.  Kinlaw said earlier today that he managed to add 25 pounds of muscle this offseason, bulking up to 330 pounds.  Another first round pick who went 14th overall to the 49ers in 2020, may be a late bloomer.

After amassing just 1.5 sacks through his first 35 games, he picked up 3.5 more in just six weeks to close out the 2023 season.  With the added bulk and Quinnen Williams lining up next to him, it’s possible Kinlaw could be another productive first-round pick on the Jets defensive line.

In the case of Fotu, the Jets brought in the space eater to improve against the run along the interior.  While he didn’t make many splash plays in Arizona (8 TFL, 2 sacks over past 3 seasons), his name has been brought up several times for penetrating and disrupting running plays in the backfield.

Should the 335 pound Fotu become an even slightly above average defender who can spend some time in opposing offensive backfields, it would be a boon for the Jets and yet another defender for offensive coordinators to account for.

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