The New York Jets might be coming off a three-win season, but there aren’t a lot of starting jobs up for grabs.

The best way to explain it: Many of the veterans the Jets signed in free agency are locked into starting jobs. The Jets also used three first-round picks on players who will contribute immediately, return four starting offensive linemen and brought back running back Breece Hall.

By my count, there are zero starting jobs available on offense, two on defense (three if you count nickel corner) and two on special teams.

The Jets also have some questions further down the depth chart where top backups will be decided, most notably at quarterback. Let’s start there as we dive into the roster battles to watch when training camp begins:

No. 2 quarterback

Contenders: Bailey Zappe, Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook

This spot, more than any other, feels like the one general manager Darren Mougey is most likely to add to. Maybe it will come during training camp, maybe after roster cuts, but at a minimum, it would surprise me if the Jets didn’t add someone.

It might not even be a player who would get fans excited, but one of these three quarterbacks needs to show a lot more in the early stretch of camp to have a legitimate shot to be Geno Smith’s top backup.

Zappe is the most experienced of the group with nine career starts. He got the bulk of the No. 2 reps during organized team activities.

Klubnik was just drafted in the fourth round and showed some intriguing flashes early in OTAs, but that was a low-pressure setting. He missed the latter part of OTAs and all of minicamp with a back injury. The best-case scenario for the Jets would be Klubnik having a good camp and preseason and outright winning the job.

Cook is a smart player and is respected by coaches and teammates, but he doesn’t appear to have the juice to be an NFL quarterback. He does have experience (153 pass attempts in five games last season), which Klubnik does not.

By the law of the New York Jets: If you are a quarterback on their roster or practice squad, you will probably play at some point.

Early favorite: Zappe

No. 2 running back

Contenders: Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis

This isn’t so much a “competition” like the others on this list since both backs will get opportunities to play.

However, I will be interested to see who falls second in the pecking order behind Hall once the season starts.

Allen was a summer star in each of his first two NFL seasons, though that hasn’t translated to the regular season. He looked like he was starting to build some momentum last season before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 4, but he’s completely healthy now and (according to him) stronger and faster than ever.

Davis isn’t a flashy player, and he’s not as big or strong as Allen, so their skill sets will be applied differently. However, Davis seems to get the job done when given the opportunity. He’s averaged 5.6 yards on 73 career carries and caught 30 of 40 passes thrown his way.

Early favorite: Davis

No. 3 linebacker

Contenders: Kiko Mauigoa, Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Mykal Walker

This is another position group that could use some reinforcements behind the starters. As it stands, in what should be predominantly a 3-4 defense, the thought of losing Jamien Sherwood or Demario Davis to injury is scary.

Mauigoa had some moments as a rookie, but it was a bumpy road, as he was forced to play before he was ready. McCrary-Ball and Walker are better suited as special-teams players than full-time contributors on defense.

Some notable free agents still available at linebacker include Bobby Okereke, Matt Milano, Kenneth Murray, Germaine Pratt and Elandon Roberts. Former Jets star Jamal Adams, most recently a linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders, has also expressed interest in rejoining the team that drafted him.

Early favorite: Mauigoa

No. 2 cornerback

Contenders: Nahshon Wright, Azareye’h Thomas, D’Angelo Ponds

This could be one of the most interesting competitions.

With Wright, the Jets have a veteran coming off a career season (five interceptions) with unique size (6 foot 4) and a playmaking skill set they were lacking. He also only signed for one year and $3.5 million, an indication there wasn’t a lot of interest in free agency.

However, the Jets have Thomas, a young, second-year cornerback they were high enough on a year ago to draft in the third round. His first start came when Sauce Gardner was injured. Thomas then stayed in the lineup for four more games after Gardner was traded before succumbing to a season-ending injury.

In those five games, he had five pass deflections and two tackles for loss but (like everyone else) no interceptions. He didn’t show enough to say he should be handed anything, but there is talent there.

Ponds got reps at both outside corner and nickel in the spring, so it’s always possible he impresses enough to get a shot to push Wright and Thomas, but he’s more likely to be in play at the nickel.

Early favorite: Wright

Nickel cornerback

Contenders: Jarvis Brownlee, D’Angelo Ponds

This is an important job, but it won’t be as high-usage as you’d think for a nickel corner. The reason: Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will get heavy usage in the nickel.

Still, the Jets would be smart to do what they can to get Ponds on the field. He already looked ready to make an impact in the spring even as a corner lacking in size, and his playmaking ability is something that should get him on the field quickly.

Brownlee came via an in-season trade with the Tennessee Titans in September and promptly forced the Jets’ first turnover of the season, but he succumbed to the same issues he had in Tennessee: penalties.

Early favorite: Ponds

No. 2 safety

Contenders: Andre Cisco, Dane Belton, Malachi Moore

It was a surprise that the Jets brought back Cisco, but head coach Aaron Glenn still believes in him.

Cisco only played in eight games due to injuries and only mustered one fumble recovery, one pass deflection and one tackle for loss in those games. He signed for $2.23 million, not much more than the minimum.

I’d expect both Belton and Moore to give him a push for playing time. A year ago, Glenn was raving about how excited he was about Moore’s potential, and I don’t think his opinion of Moore has changed. Belton brings two things the Jets lacked on defense last season: a history of playmaking and sure-tackling.

Maybe Cisco will be the initial starter, but I’d bet on Belton and/or Moore eventually supplanting him.

Early favorite: Cisco

Kicker

Contenders: Jason Sanders, Cade York

Ah yes, the annual Jets kicking competition. Last year, the contenders (Harrison Mevis and Caden Davis) were bad enough that both were eventually cut.

Mougey signed Nick Folk during training camp, and Folk went on to be arguably the Jets’ best player. However, the Jets let Folk walk and got right back on the kicker carousel.

If Sanders is completely healed from a back injury that cost him the 2025 season, he should be an easy winner, having converted 37 of 41 field goals two years ago. York has only converted 73.3 percent in his career. If neither is up to the task, Mougey will go back to the drawing board again.

Early favorite: Sanders

Long snapper

Contenders: Thomas Hennessy, Garrison Grimes

This is the first competition Hennessy has faced for the job in a long time. He currently holds the title of the longest-tenured Jets player, surviving coaching changes from Todd Bowles to Adam Gase to Robert Saleh to (on an interim basis) Jeff Ulbrich to Aaron Glenn.

The Jets signed Grimes as an undrafted rookie and have kept him on the roster, which means Glenn and special teams coordinator Chris Banjo are letting Grimes push Hennessy for the job.

Early favorite: Hennessy