Gang Green Top 20: No. 7 Chris Herndon

The 2020 Jets hope to kick off the new decade by snapping a nine-year playoff drought.

There was plenty of roster turnover this offseason, but the question remains: Does new necessarily mean better?

Tom Brady’s departure ostensibly gives hope to the rest of the AFC East, but will the Jets be the team to knock the Patriots off their perch as division rulers?

I’ll be revealing my Top 20 players on the roster every weekday for the next four weeks in the run-up to training camp.

This list is made up of the players who I believe will have the greatest impact for Adam Gase’s team this season. The ranking isn’t simply based on a player’s resume. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

So, we’re peering into our crystal ball and taking some leaps of faith. There’s some quality young talent on Gang Green’s roster. Some of those guys are poised to take their games to the next level.

Get ready for some surprises.

No. 7: CHRIS HERNDON

2019 ranking: 7 Position: Tight end

Age at the start of the season: 24

2020 salary cap charge: $917,000

Contract status: Third year of a 4-year, $3.17 million rookie deal

2019 Season in Review: Herndon’s forgettable second season was highlighted by a four-game suspension and a pair of crushing injuries that limited him to a grand total of 18 snaps. The young tight end showed plenty of promise as a rookie before fading into the background last year. He missed the first four games after being disciplined by the league for a DUI incident in his first offseason.

Herndon suffered a significant hamstring injury while working out on his own just a few days before he was set to come off suspension. He suffered a seasonending rib injury in his first game back. His final stat line for the season: one catch for seven yards on seven targets.

“I think everyone can agree that we were all excited to see what he could do going into last year,” Gase said. “We felt good about so many things and it just didn’t work out with the suspension and the injury. Then we finally get him on the field and he played like (18) plays.”

2020 Outlook: Herndon has the tools to be a difference maker in Gase’s offense. It’s easy to forget just how good he was at times as a rookie, but make no mistake about it: He is a special talent.

Herndon was second among all tight ends with a 66.7% catch rate (39 catches on 56 targets) as a rookie. Jets quarterbacks had a 152.7 passer rating when targeting Herndon as a rookie, the highest among all tight ends and wide receivers in 2018.

Herndon could do some serious damage in the middle of the field in Gase’s scheme. Veteran tight end Ryan Griffin revived his career in this system last season. Imagine what Herndon could do if healthy.

“We expected him to be a big part of the offense last year,” Gase said. “And we didn’t even get that opportunity. So, I think we’re adding a guy that’s a very good player that’s finally going to get back in the mix in this thing.”

Sam Darnold might just be getting back his best passcatching weapon. Herndon has the ability to be a dynamic piece to the puzzle.

NEXT ON THE COUNTDOWN:

An important player eager to build off a career season.