The New York Jets are in good hands.
No, this isn’t an Allstate commercial. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report revealed the “most promising building block” on every roster. For the Jets, he highlighted Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu.
“Though the New York Jets did take a fourth-round flier on Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, they probably won’t have their quarterback of the future until 2027. Next year’s draft is shaping up to be deep at the position, and New York already owns three first-round picks,” Knox wrote. “Whenever the Jets do find their long-term signal-caller, they’ll be able to provide him with an excellent young blindside protector in Olu Fashanu.”
“A first-round pick out of Penn State in 2024, Fashanu didn’t become a full-time starter until late in his rookie season. Once he got the gig, though, he ran with it. Fashanu started all 17 games this past season and was ranked 39th overall and 27th in pass protection among all offensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus,” Knox added.
“Fashanu still has room to grow as a pro, but he’s already shown the potential to be New York’s left tackle for the next decade. Now, the Jets just need to find the same sort of stability at quarterback,” Knox explained.
A Key Reason for Optimism
There are plenty of reasons to be negative if you’re a Jets fan.
Your team has had one winning season over the last 15 years. You’re coming off a 3-14 campaign, which is one of the worst in team history.
If you’re an optimistic Jets fan, that is probably because of how the offensive line looks. There is continuity among the group, with only one new starter entering the mix, who is different from last year (Dylan Parham).
A good offensive line makes everybody look better. Suddenly, the quarterback has more time to throw. The running backs have clearer lanes to run through. The receivers have more time to get open because the trenches are holding up in pass protection.
Fashanu is one of the straws that stirs the drink on offense that inspires that confidence heading into the 2026 season.
Sage Wisdom
A few years ago, I had ESPN NFL analyst and longtime former lineman, Damien Woody, on “Boy Green Daily.”
A comment that he made to me back then still rings true today. Essentially, he explained that not every member of your offensive line has to be an All-Pro.
Fashanu hasn’t proven to be that level of a player yet. Maybe he finds that in 2026, but maybe he doesn’t.
If he doesn’t, that doesn’t mean that Fashanu is a failure. He can be a very successful building block by just being rock solid.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson was the blindside protector for the Jets for a decade. He only missed one snap in his career, and it was because of a trick play at the end of a game.
Ferguson did make three Pro Bowls during his career, but he was never an All-Pro. He was consistently solid. Sometimes you even forgot about him and would go through multiple games without ever mentioning his name. That is the ultimate compliment an offensive lineman can receive.
If an offensive lineman is being mentioned during a television broadcast, that is normally for a bad reason. Insert pass rusher just blew by insert offensive lineman. You don’t often hear compliments about big men during these broadcasts.
Fashanu just has to be rock solid; he doesn’t have to be a superstar.
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