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The 6 Jets UDFAs Who Actually Matter at OTAs
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- The 6 Jets UDFAs Who Actually Matter at OTAs
Rookie wideout Caullin Lacy is one of the Jets' UDFAs worth tracking when OTAs begin. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Next up for the Jets in their offseason program is offseason team activities (OTAs), which begin on May 27 . While there is still a lot of work for them to do after a 3-14 season, some huge upgrades in the draft and some key offseason acquisitions have put the Jets in a decent position.
That even includes the undrafted free agents (UDFAs) that were brought in following the draft. Although there is some risk involved since they were not selected by any team, there are plenty of reasons why fans should care about these players when you consider the UDFAs who have outshone their drafted counterparts and ended up on a team throughout the years.
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With that in mind, here are six UDFAs who are worth keeping an eye on in OTAs.
1. Caullin Lacy , WR
The Louisville product was one of the three undrafted WRs that the Jets signed following the draft, joining Arizona State's Malik McClain and Rutgers' DT Sheffield. Unlike them and the rest of the undrafted class in Gang Green, Lacy received the highest base ($247,500) and total guarantee ($262,500) .
During his six-year collegiate career (four with South Alabama, two with Louisville), Lacy totaled 285 receptions in 65 games with 3,348 yards and 16 TDs. He also tacked on 51 carries for 214 yards, in addition to 86 punt returns for 996 yards and 34 kickoff returns for 831 yards, proving to be a dynamic wideout who can be versatile in many areas.
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Lacy is on the small side at 5-foot-9, 183 pounds and comes in after the Jets made a splash for Indiana 's Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round of the draft. However, despite the top-end talent at WR between Cooper, Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell , there is no question that he can compete for a spot on the 53-man roster, even if it is mostly on special teams.
2. Kendrick Blackshire , LB
Can Kendrick Blackshire give the Jets some much-needed LB help? | Butch Dill-Imagn Images
Blackshire spent his lone full-time season as a starter at UTSA in 2025, and registered 48 combined tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass deflection and an interception that was returned for a defensive score. Blackshire only played a total of 39 games in college, but the LB position has been a talking point all offseason in light of all the defensive moves the Jets made.
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Blackshire may not immediately be viewed as an instant contributor, but the Jets signed him to a base guarantee of $5,000-the fourth-highest of the UDFAs-, and he could carve out a special teams role with so much depth at LB already. His outlook is bleak when you look at the talent at the position, but the Jets gave him a shot, and now he could give someone like Kobe King a challenge and at least compete for a backup role.
3. Chip Trayanum , RB
Trayanum, who bounced around during his collegiate career before finishing up at Toledo, has a tall task behind Breece Hall , Braelon Allen , Isaiah Davis and Kene Nwangwu , who is primarily a return specialist. There is an uphill battle there, but even though Hall is seemingly starting a new era with the Jets after signing a three-year extension, it's possible that either Allen or Davis will wind up being traded , further opening the door for Trayanum.
Regardless of the RB depth, Trayanum could easily find himself on the practice squad and get a call-up if someone gets hurt. During his only season with the Rockets in 2025, Trayanum led Toledo with 1,015 rush yards and 12 TDs, was named a first-team All-MAC and has been viewed as someone with the body of a linebacker.
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That type of skill set is exactly what the Jets could use in the backfield to bring some physicality and carve his way through the defensive front with his bruising ability as a runner.
4. Nathan Voorhis, EDGE
Nathan Voorhis finished out his college career at Ball State, recording 31 solo tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and the fifth-most sacks in the nation (12). What could help Voorhis the most, though, is the fact that the Jets need to improve in the trenches after producing the second-fewest sacks last season.
The Jets added first-rounder David Bailey and fourth-rounder Darrell Jackson Jr. through the draft, but Voorhis' acceleration could be extremely beneficial for a unit that struggled to create pressure on opposing QBs last season, and give him a shot at the back end of the depth chart.
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5. Mory Bamba , CB
Like Lacy, Mory Bamba joins a room that has already made some upgrades during the offseason by adding Pro Bowl CB Nahshon Wright on a one-year deal and selecting D'Angelo Ponds in the second round of the draft. With that said, Bamba was not invited to the Scouting Combine and still ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash at BYU's Pro Day that would have been the fastest time among CBs .
Bamba only made eight starts in his four seasons at BYU following a stint with Wisconsin-Oshkosh to begin his career, but his athleticism and his ability to play both press and off-coverage make him a threat for a roster spot.
6. Xavier Hill , OL
Xavier Hill could give the Jets' offensive line some help in terms of depth. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Hill spent six seasons in college between LSU , Memphis and Colorado, concluding his career with the Buffaloes, where he earned Big 12 Offensive Guard of the Week honors in Week 5 on Pro Football Focus . Hill was even named first-team All-AAC in 2024 when he was with Memphis and allowed only 11 hurries, three sacks and one QB hit in 703 offensive snaps with Colorado.
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At 6-foot-3, 313 pounds, Hill could be someone the Jets could move to the guard position, but his skill set of being versatile is extremely valuable in today's game and more than worthy of providing some depth. After all, players like Brady Cook , Peyton Page, Dean Clark and Jordan Clark are just some of the recent examples of UDFAs who played regular-season snaps despite not making the team out of camp. Hence, there is an opportunity for Hill and these UDFAs to make the most out of the current situation and compete for a roster spot.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jets/onsi as The 6 Jets UDFAs Who Actually Matter at OTAs .
