After injury cost him his 2015 season, New York Jets tight end Jace Amaro is eager to build on a tough 2014 rookie year and should excel if given the chance to prove himself on the field.
When the New York Jets drafted tight end Jace Amaro in the second round of the NFL Draft, they undoubtedly did it with the hopes of him turning into a franchise-type tight end sooner rather than later. He had a slow start in his rookie season but didn’t see the field at all in his second year in the league after suffering a torn labrum in the preseason. Now, he’s fully healthy and is ready to be an integral part of the Jets’ passing game in 2016.
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Jace Amaro was one of the best tight ends and best receivers in all of college football in 2013 when he accounted for 1,352 yards and 7 touchdowns while playing for Texas Tech. He was selected in the second round in 2014, and while he didn’t blow anyone away in his rookie year (38 receptions, 345 yards, 2 touchdowns), he still outgained all of the Jets’ 2015 tight ends combined by 250 yards. To be fair, the entire Jets offense struggled in 2014, and Amaro was tied for second in receptions and had the third-most touchdowns.
Last year’s combination of Kellen Davis and Jeff Cumberland managed only 8 receptions for 95 yards, the worst numbers by any tight end group in the league. Much of that was certainly due to the excellent play of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, but some of it certainly had to do with their skill. Ryan Fitzpatrick clearly didn’t trust those guys enough to make them a key part of the offense.
The 2016 quarterback situation is fairly uncertain, but I have faith that whoever is under center the passing attack will thrive. Decker and Marshall make up arguably the best receiver combo in the league and the offseason addition of Matt Forte gives the team one of the best receiving running backs around. Adding a big, fast, athletic tight end to the mix can only help the team.
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Amaro was taken in the draft by former Jets GM John Idzick, and the Jets have already severed ties with much of that year’s draft class. It may be that the team has little interest for the players taken by the older regime, but Amaro seems to have the skills to fit into offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense. The spread attack is the same type of offense he played in at Texas Tech, and can typically house an athletic tight end quite well.
Amaro may not be a top-end in-line blocker, but just watch his tape to see what kind of plays he’s capable of making in the passing game. At 6’5″ 265 he’s a great red-zone target, and while the Jets may not be in desperate need of that with their two big recovers on the outside, it never hurts to have another.
He was the focal point of the offense his senior year in college and was still able to make defenses look silly. In New York he’s unlikely to ever see double coverage with Marshall, Decker, and Forte all on the field. He should be fully healthy and has had two years of NFL learning under his belt if only one full season of play.
If Ryan Fitzpatrick is the quarterback and the team gives him a real shot, I expect Jace Amaro to be in the range of 600-800 receiving yards and 4-6 touchdowns, which would probably put him in the top half of the league’s tight ends. The team had high hopes for him when they drafted him, and this is the season he should prove himself.
There’s been no announcement as far as where he sits on the depth chart for 2016, and there were signs that were pointing towards him not being the starter even before his injury last season.
NFL Spin Zone’s Alan Schechter thinks that Zach Sudfeld will be the tight end that emerges for the Jets, but I think Amaro’s athleticism and bulk will place him above the taller but lighter Sudfeld. Sudfeld has been called “Baby Gronk” but I believe Amaro would be better suited to that name at only one inch shorter than the Patriots star and just as heavy. Sudfeld is taller than both of them but roughly 15lbs lighter, making him a little too lanky. Either way, it will be an exciting position battle to watch as the season nears.
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After the complete lack of production from their tight ends last season though, the Jets should be looking in Amaro’s direction. He’s got the physical tools to be a pretty good starting tight end in this league, and if they give him a chance in 2016 he won’t disappoint.