Jets WR depth chart: How Garrett Wilson injury impacts offensive weapons for Justin Fields in New York originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Jets always knew they would operate a run-based offense in 2025, but the running game might be all that matters with WR Garrett Wilson out.
Wilson is set to miss as many as 3-4 weeks, including “Thursday Night Football” against the New England Patriots, leaving an already thin Jets wide receiver depth chart without perhaps its only reliable weapon.
Unheralded pass-catchers, including two acquired ahead of the trade deadline, will have to step up for a hurting New York passing game if the Jets want to keep their short win streak alive against one of the top teams in the AFC.
Here’s a look at the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart with Wilson sidelined.
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* Wilson is on IR with a knee injury.
With Davante Adams released in the offseason, one of the top concerns for the Jets entering the year was the lack of wide receiver depth behind Wilson. Not only does that make a Wilson absence especially damaging, but it allows defenses to focus so much of their attention on the young star.
It’s predictably been a down season for Wilson along with the rest of New York’s passing game, as he has 395 yards and four touchdowns through seven games, a 17-game pace of less than 1,000 yards. Now set to miss at least four weeks, Wilson appears headed for his first sub-1,000-yard season.
With Josh Reynolds on injured reserve, Tyler Johnson has had to step up as a key complement to Wilson and is in line for a larger role while Wilson is down. The former fifth-round pick won a Super Bowl as a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had 291 yards on 26 catches with the Los Angeles Rams in 2024, but he can be classified as a journeyman on his fourth team in six seasons.
A fourth-round pick out of Georgia in April, Arian Smith battled drop issues with the Bulldogs but has the speed to be a potential game-changer. So far, the results just haven’t been there. Smith has only six catches through nine games, though his big-play ability has shown through a bit in recent weeks with a combined 36 yards on his last two touches entering Week 11. With Wilson out and options limited, Smith could have an opportunity for more consistent targets.
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The Jets acquired John Metchie III from the Philadelphia Eagles in a pre-deadline deal, adding some much-needed depth with the former second-round pick. Once considered a potential first-round prospect out of Alabama, Metchie missed his rookie season while battling cancer and was limited to 412 yards over his only two seasons with the Houston Texans.
Adonai Mitchell is the wild card in the Jets’ wide receiver room, as he is still just 23 and flashed some big-play potential as a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts before coming over to New York in the Sauce Gardner trade. Mitchell struggled to gain the full trust of the Colts’ offensive staff his biggest play of this season ended in an embarrassing fumble through the end zone on what should have been a touchdown so it will be up to the Jets to get Mitchell in the film room and committed to making the most of his potential. Mitchell was inactive in his first game since being traded to the Jets.
A former undrafted free agent who had two catches with the Detroit Lions in 2024, Isaiah Williams has four catches for 35 yards as a depth piece in the Jets’ wide receiver room this season. The Metchie and Mitchell acquisitions could keep Williams from receiving more regular targets.
Allen Lazard has largely been a bust in his three seasons with the Jets, and even a thin wide receiver corps hasn’t been enough to earn him consistent looks this season. Lazard was a healthy scratch in Week 1 and was scratched again in Week 10. The former Packers receiver has 45 yards on seven catches through six games this season, but the Jets don’t seem inclined to even make him active when their full group is healthy.
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Wilson is set to miss a minimum of four weeks with a knee sprain after being placed on IR. The initial timeline of 3-4 weeks was reported by ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
While the Jets didn’t provide an official timeline until placing Wilson on IR, the standout receiver is now slated to miss games against the Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins.