New York Jets ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Leaning Into New Nickname Amid Roster Battle

The New York Jets are getting ready for their official offseason program as they host Rookie Minicamp starting on Friday.

There are plenty of players that fans and the organization are excited to see take the field. First round pick Olu Fashanu and third rounder Malachi Corley are the headliners, followed by fourth round running back Braelon Allen who made a bold claim about what he might bring to the field.

It’s expected that these three players will make the roster and have some sort of impact during their rookie seasons, but as far as the rest of the draft class goes, it’s really unknown who might develop into a contributor.

When factoring in historic odds, the player least likely to make the roster is the Jets’ final selection of the NFL draft, Jaylen Key, who has now donned the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant.”

Knowing the odds are stacked against him, the Alabama product is ready to embrace that moniker and show everyone, especially the organization, what he can do on the football field.

“You just got to take it and lean into it, so for me, I’m definitely going to lean into it – every bit of it. I’m the Mr. Irrelevant this year, and we’re going to make something shake, for sure,” he said during his media availability.

Key’s path is likely as a special teams player until he possibly grows enough into being considered for a safety role.

That might be unlikely, but New York’s general manager Joe Douglas says they selected him for a reason.

“It’s just figuring out who generates the most excitement and staying true to your process – the meetings that we had. We know our scouts like this guy, our coaches like this guy, kind of bringing it together, and felt like we picked the right guy,” he said about their selection of Key.

What could help out the safety is that he’s an older player.

Normally viewed as a negative because the ceiling might be a bit lower, Key’s age and experience might actually help him.

He played four years at UAB before transferring to Alabama and being coached by Nick Saban for his final season of college football.

“You’re already kind of being prepared like a pro there as far as the preparation standpoint. That was probably one of the biggest things I learned going to play under coach Saban was the process of preparing for a game,” he said about his time at Alabama.

Maybe that experience is what ultimately pushes him from being “Mr. Irrelevant” to making this roster.