New York Jets: ESPN rates Jets roster 4th best in NFL

Earlier this week I wrote about how ProFootballFocus viewed the New York Jets roster rather favorably, ranking them as the 4th best team in the NFL.

However, a good rating should be reliable such that multiple evaluators come to similar conclusions. While that won’t always be the exact same number, they should ideally be in the same range if they are to be viewed as accurate.

ESPN recently provided some indirect support for PFF when the ESPN analyst team of Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder also rated the New York Jets as having the 4th best starting lineup in the NFL.

Clearly, being ranked fourth is a huge jump in quality for a team that recently held the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft. Beyond that, they’re once again grouped with some fantastic teams, with the top five consisting of the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions (in that order).

However, while this ranking places the Jets as the fourth best overall roster, they are still the third best roster in the AFC, highlighting how strong the AFC has become in recent years. Other teams in the AFC East also fared well, with the Buffalo Bills ranking ninth and the Miami Dolphins ranking 11th, showing that the Jets will have competition for the division crown. Still, the Jets are still ranked considerably higher, which positions them as the “team to beat” in the division, at least based on this ESPN ranking.