Jets Position Breakdown: Can Jeremy Ruckert step up at tight end?

Heading into the 2025 season, the Jets have made a series of moves to improve the state of their roster and overall depth, but are they ready to compete for a playoff spot?

In this series, we'll break down the depth chart for every position group. This time, we'll go in-depth at the tight end position...

Projected depth chart

Starters: Jeremy Ruckert, Mason Taylor
Backups: Stone Smartt, Andrew Beck (fullback)
Key additions/losses: Taylor was selected in the second round of the draft and Smartt signed as a free agent. Tyler Conklin and Kenny Yeboah departed in free agency
Top Performers in 2024: Conklin had 51 catches for 449 yards and four touchdowns
2024 ranking via PFF: Ruckert was 77th in overall grade and 82nd for run blocking grade out of 83 qualifiers

What Jets tight ends have going for them

This feels like a total reset after Conklin had played in 50 of 51 games over the past three seasons and caught 170 passes. The Jets will be hoping the younger options they have competing for a role this year will be more consistent in terms of blocking, and that they will hopefully add a dimension in terms of creating yards after the catch that Conklin didn't really provide.

After three underwhelming seasons in a reserve role, Ruckert has a chance to graduate to starter this year, but will face competition from the promising second-round pick Taylor. Smartt was added on a low-cost deal in free agency but may have some untapped potential.

Key concern for 2025: Red zone

The five tight ends currently on the Jets' roster have just one NFL touchdown between them -- and that was a 51-yard catch-and-run by Smartt two years ago. Can someone step up and become a viable red zone option?

Ruckert could be the best bet because all five of his touchdown catches in the final season of his college career came from inside the red zone. Although that was five years ago, the fact that he is reuniting with his Ohio State teammate Justin Fields will hopefully mean they already have good chemistry.

Taylor had three red zone touchdowns last season, but only six total touchdowns in his college career, so it may be premature to expect him to be productive in such situations in his rookie year.

Player who must step up in 2025: Jeremy Ruckert

When the Jets selected Ruckert in the third round in 2022, they knew Conklin would be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season and were probably counting on Ruckert proving himself worthy of moving into a starting role by now. However, he's caught just 35 passes for 264 yards and zero touchdowns in his first three seasons.

Aug 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets tight end Jeremy Ruckert (89) scores a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / (C) Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

While he had a career-best 18 receptions in 2024, only six of them went for a first down as he averaged fewer than six yards per catch. In addition, he was very inconsistent as a blocker.

Based on comments made by head coach Aaron Glenn, it sounds like the coaching staff appreciates his skill set and believes he is ready to make the next step. If he falters, Taylor could be ready to pick up the mantle.

Biggest camp battle: Stone Smartt vs. Zack Kuntz

The battle for the third tight end spot looks set to be contested between Smartt (who was a free agent identified and signed as a potential fit for the new system) and Kuntz (a late round draft pick from the previous regime). On that basis, you'd expect Smartt to have the edge.

Kuntz is a spectacular athlete, but his blocking was a work in progress when he entered the league, and he doesn't seem to have progressed much in that area. He hasn't produced much in the passing game, either, and spent most of his first two years on the practice squad as a result. So far, he's seen regular season action on just three offensive snaps.

Smartt brings some playmaking ability as he has averaged 13.4 yards per catch over the past two seasons. Eighteen of his 31 career catches have gone for a first down, which compares favorably to Ruckert, who has only 12 first downs on 35 career catches.

Overall 2025 outlook

Everyone currently in the tight end room is an unknown quantity to some degree. The hope is that Ruckert can become a more consistent player with an increased workload, but he needs to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign.

In the longer term, the Jets will hope that Taylor can become an upper-echelon starter, but whether or not he'll be ready to hit the ground running in his rookie campaign could determine the fortunes of this group.