Dolphins save Jets from AFC East's cellar in recent NFL roster ranking

The New York Jets aren't likely to celebrate their recent finish in a recent ranking of the NFL's projected starting lineups. They also probably won't complain about the one AFC East team that finished behind them.The latter distinction belongs to the Miami Dolphins.

Perhaps that shouldn't come as a shock. Critics have been hard on them as of late, and it didn't stop during the summer lull. If you've been busy, ESPN recently ranked all 32 projected starting lineups entering the 2026 season.

The Jets' 25th-place finish is hardly elite company, but it was enough to keep New York from occupying the bottom spot in the AFC East. The Dolphins landed dead last in the league, and if you're interested, the Buffalo Bills checked in at No. 4 overall, while the New England Patriots finished seventh.

The Jets still have questions, but there's reason for optimismESPN's biggest concern surrounding the Jets is one that their fans all seem to share. It centered on the quarterback position, where Geno Smith enters the season as the projected starter. It's a fair question considering Smith is viewed more as a veteran bridge than a long-term solution, but New York is also betting that a change of scenery and a more stable environment will help him recapture the form he displayed during his successful run with the Seattle Seahawks.

The projection also highlighted linebacker as the Jets' greatest strength, pointing to the return of Demario Davis alongside Jamien Sherwood. Davis continues to defy Father Time after another productive season, while Sherwood has quietly emerged as one of the NFL's most productive tacklers over the past two years.Perhaps the most intriguing observation, however, involved the offense's young supporting cast.

Adonai Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr., and rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq were identified as potential X factors capable of changing the outlook of New York's offense. If even two of those young playmakers emerge alongside Garrett Wilson, the Jets could outperform