Neither of the Jets’ starting offensive tackles participated in Saturday’s “Green and White” scrimmage, giving first-round pick Olu Fashanu the opportunity to work with Aaron Rodgers and the first-team offense.
But head coach Robert Saleh said ideally the Jets prefer that Fashanu — the No. 11 overall selection in the draft — won’t be needed to play regularly as a rookie and is able to apprentice behind imported 33-year-old veteran tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses.
“That’d be the goal,” Saleh said after practice in Florham Park. “Olu, he’s another guy I’m really looking forward to seeing in [games], going against other players.
“He’s very strong in his lower half. He is a sponge, an absolute sponge, a technician in every sense of the word. Very smart. Very willing. [We] definitely did not miss on that kid.”
Smith was an eight-time Pro Bowler over 13 seasons with the Cowboys, but he missed four games last year due to injury and hasn’t appeared in more than 13 in any season since 2015.
Still, the Jets signed Smith and Moses — who was with them in 2021 before spending the past two seasons with the Ravens — as part of a win-now plan surrounding Rodgers in his comeback attempt from Achilles surgery.
Oft-injured former first-round pick Mekhi Becton signed in the offseason with the Eagles.
“I feel like a lot of people aren’t blessed to be in that type of position where you have two great tackles in the same room,” said Fashanu, who played collegiately at Penn State. “I’ve been making the most of it. They’ve been awesome. They’re always right behind me, guiding me in the right path and helping me with anything and everything I need, and giving me extra advice to take my game to the next step. It’s been great.”
Fashanu, who mostly has been taking reps at left tackle during camp, said that Smith specifically has advised him “on different ways how to load up in my stance and how to be more explosive and different ways to work my hands” in both the running game and the passing game.
“Just having that opportunity and getting that insight and perspective from [Smith] has been nice,” the 21-year-old Fashanu said. “I think about it as I have a Hall of Fame left tackle in my room and another veteran tackle in my room.
“They’re both great guys who are willing to help me develop in any way possible, so I just try to think about it like that. … As a rookie that’s what you want, having older guys who want to help you get better.”
Of course, as Saleh noted, there is a vast difference between playing that position in college and facing NFL edge rushers, which Fashanu said he’s learning by going up against the Jets’ vaunted pass rush every day in practice.
“It’s been a very big difference,” Fashanu said. “I’d say in the Big Ten and just college football in general, you’re going against a lot of pass-rushers that are one-dimensional. So it’s a lot easier to scout them and know what they’ll do. But here, at least with our D-line, all of the edge rushers have both speed and power and they’re great with their hands. So it’s definitely a lot more challenging.
“There definitely are some things I need to clean up. Here everyone is a lot bigger, a lot quicker and a lot stronger. So for me, to be a half-second quicker than I was last year will make all the difference.”