Ever since the NFL cut its preseason schedule to three games in 2021, the clock has ticked much faster for players looking to prove their worth. Once the opener is completed, you\u2019re already one-third of the way through the preseason.<\/p>\n
That means the majority of the New York Jets\u2019 preseason will be completed by the end of Saturday night.<\/p>\n
New York has completed one preseason game and two joint practices with the Giants. Time is running out for players who find themselves on the roster bubble.<\/p>\n
These five Jets players<\/a> are desperate to make a statement during Saturday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n K Harrison Mevis<\/p>\n Mevis has had multiple ugly days of kicking in practice. With his competitor being the NFL\u2019s league leader in field goal percentage over the last two seasons, Mevis finds himself in a precarious position.<\/p>\n In last week\u2019s opener, Mevis made all three of his field goals and both of his extra points, but it was not a pretty performance. He had two sub-30-yard field goal attempts that barely snuck past the goalpost.<\/p>\n Mevis needs to be perfect from here on out to make New York consider keeping him on the 53-man roster over Nick Folk. The Jets might not even want to spend a practice squad spot on him if he can\u2019t show some semblance of competency.<\/p>\n WR Malachi Corley<\/p>\n It\u2019s been 475 days since Robert Saleh texted Joe Douglas to get Malachi Corley \u201cno matter what.\u201d Over those 475 days, Corley has not made a single play that Jets fans can point to as justification for why New York\u2019s previous regime was so enamored with him.<\/p>\n Corley picked up two first downs in his rookie season, and he fumbled half of them away with one of the most egregious unforced blunders you will ever see from an NFL player. If you remember when the other one happened, you might be the most die-hard Jets fan to walk the Earth. (It was a 2-yard catch in a 25-point loss to Arizona.)<\/p>\n With the firings of Saleh and Douglas, Corley knew he would have to prove himself to a new regime in 2025. So far, he has failed to do so. He has been quiet throughout training camp, rarely generating headlines for his performance in practice.<\/p>\n In the preseason opener, Corley had one catch for eight yards and a kick return to the 25-yard line.<\/p>\n The Jets know Corley has talent, but far too much time has passed for him to get by on his third-round draft pedigree with nothing to show for it. New York would love to see Corley do something \u2013 anything \u2013 to show why he should be considered for a roster spot.<\/p>\n WATCH: Joe Blewett’s Jets-Packers Film Review<\/a><\/p>\n WR Xavier Gipson<\/p>\n Jamaal Pritchett has emerged as a younger and more impressive fit for Xavier Gipson\u2019s archetype.<\/p>\n The UDFA from South Alabama was the Jets\u2019 primary punt returner in the preseason opener, showing some elusiveness as he made multiple defenders miss. He also forced a couple of missed tackles as a receiver.<\/p>\n Entering 2025, Gipson had a lot to prove after a rough 2024 season that saw him have just as many fumbles as first downs (4), along with a modest 8.1-yard punt return average. He missed the Green Bay game, squashing his opportunity to counter Pritchett\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n With Pritchett\u2019s rise, there won\u2019t be a need for the Jets to keep Gipson unless he starts to perform tremendously.<\/p>\n DE Micheal Clemons<\/p>\n Aaron Glenn has preached about the value of accountability since his opening press conference with the Jets. That isn\u2019t uncommon in the NFL. <\/p>\n What is uncommon? The way Glenn walks his talk.<\/p>\n In Saturday\u2019s preseason opener, Glenn proved his words carry weight. When linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball committed a foolish late-hit penalty, Glenn scolded him<\/a>.<\/p>\n And when Micheal Clemons was penalized for instigating a fight, Glenn benched him.<\/p>\n Clemons played the fewest snaps (9) among the Jets\u2019 defensive starters in Saturday\u2019s opener. It\u2019s not what he wants as he tries to show a new regime why he deserves a roster spot despite his lowly production in 2024 (PFF\u2019s 101st-ranked edge defender out of 105 qualifiers).<\/p>\n Clemons needs to prove himself not only as a defensive end, but also as a professional. He has eight penalties in his career, five of which were for unnecessary roughness. Glenn acknowledged this issue in July<\/a>, revealing he had talked with Clemons about his penalty issues.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is built the way you want a football player to be built, but there are things that he knows he has to get better at. Some of the penalties that he had last year, we\u2019ve talked about that,\u201d Glenn said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not great when, less than a month after that statement, you ignore your coach\u2019s teachings.<\/p>\n Remember, Clemons is no youngster. He will be 28 years old in a week; the man is older than Quinnen Williams.<\/p>\n How much longer will the Jets put up with Clemons\u2019 immaturity and poor production when they can save $3.4 million of his $3.6 million cap hit by cutting him? That cap space can be rolled into next offseason to sign a much more reliable veteran backup.<\/p>\n TE Jeremy Ruckert<\/p>\n Ruckert was the Jets\u2019 least impressive tight end\/fullback in the preseason opener. Andrew Beck (2 receptions for 32 yards) and Stone Smartt (24-yard touchdown catch) made big plays in the passing game, while Ruckert wasn\u2019t targeted.<\/p>\n More importantly, Ruckert carried over his blocking woes from the 2024 season. Pro Football Focus rated Ruckert with a 45.9 pass-blocking grade and a 52.4 run-blocking grade.<\/p>\n