By now, it’s well known that the New York Jets have wide receiver room loaded with question marks with one of them being free agent addition Tyler Johnson.

Garrett Wilson is undoubtedly their WR1, but following him, their receiving group is very thin. It’s nearly impossible to predict who may occupy the WR2, WR3, and certainly WR4 spots. You have Allen Lazard, Josh Reynolds, who’s coming off a down year, and Arian Smith, who’s shown in college that while he’s swift, he can’t catch well.

None of those names inspires a ton of confidence for the Jets and their fans. So, while Lazard, Reynolds, and Smith will all certainly see the field this year, Tyler Johnson is another one worth watching…closely.

Johnson received very little buzz when he signed with the Jets this offseason, but that doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t be excited for his arrival. Entering the 2025 NFL season, Johnson is a dark horse to watch.

Tyler Johnson is a Dark Horse To Watch For the NY Jets Entering the 2025 NFL Season

Following their decision to move on from Davante Adams at the end of the 2024 NFL campaign, Jets fans knew that the wide receiver position was going to be a position of need for Gang Green. While the Jets re-signed Lazard and acquired Josh Reynolds after his down year with the Detroit Lions, they made another move that arguably could have the biggest payoff for them should he play up to his standards: signing Johnson.

At only 26 years old, Johnson brings more experience and production than most of the players he’s battling with, and in a thin receiver group, that might be enough to separate him from the rest. He has a real opportunity to carve out a role on offense with a strong performance this summer at camp, as well as in the preseason games, which start in a little less than a month.

Johnson is a former high school quarterback turned college star. He made history with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, finishing his career as their all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdowns. He gained more than 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns in both of his final two college seasons, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in the years 2018 and 2019. This was the production that got him selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He kicked off his NFL career with 48 receptions and 530 yards in two seasons with the Buccaneers. He also played a key role for Tampa in the playoffs during their 2021 Super Bowl run. He was a solid rotational piece as a rookie, winning the Super Bowl in his first season. In his following season, he had a bit of a breakout year, hauling in 36 catches for 360 yards.

Despite a strong summer in 2022, Johnson was a surprise cut from the team that first took a chance on him. He was very quickly scooped up by the Houston Texans, which began a stretch where he became an NFL journeyman in the league for a few years. It wasn’t until he caught on with the Los Angeles Rams that he finally found his footing again. Johnson finished last season with 26 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown. While not earth-shattering numbers, this was his most productive season since 2021. This is also a great potential building block.

He’s made the most of his limited targets, catching 13 of his 19 contested-catch opportunities in his NFL career, per Pro Football Focus. However, perhaps most impressively, Johnson wasn’t credited with a single drop on 39 targets last year, and hasn’t dropped a pass since the 2021 season.

 

This could be a big reason why the Jets chose to take a chance on him. The efficiency that Johnson brings caught the eye of new Jets head coach, Aaron Glenn, who saw Johnson’s 79-yard performance against his former team, the Detroit Lions, in Week 1 of last season up close. Glenn reportedly played a key role in bringing in Johnson to New York this offseason, and it’s easy to see why.

The Jets’ wide receiver depth chart is wide open with just four presumed roster locks: Garrett Wilson, Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith. Of course, you may have Malachi Corley in there, but many think he’s run his course already with the team. Johnson will be competing with the likes of Corley, Xavier Gipson, Irvin Charles, Brandon Smith, and other UDFAs.

Johnson is easily one of the most experienced among the depth receivers on the Jets’ roster. His sure hands and a wide catch radius give him an actual shot not just to make the roster, but to potentially earn reps in a complementary role on the Jets offense. The Jets need dependable weapons in their receiving corps behind Wilson. If Johnson can build on where he left off last season, he can be a dark horse to watch entering the 2025 NFL season.

Tyler Johnson has a strong chance to not only make the 53-man roster this summer but also earn real snaps once the season begins. The Jets are in a good spot with Johnson right now. Even if he’s a failure, the Jets didn’t break the bank on him, and his ceiling could see him be a quality No. 2 receiver. Johnson has a prime example to be a solid receiver right behind Wilson this season. Now, it’s up to him to see how it all plays out.

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