How the hell am I supposed to know who this is? - Marcelino McCrary-Ball

In an occasional feature, we briefly highlight any of the lesser-known players that make an unexpected impact during camp, preseason or the regular season.

Today, we focus on linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball:

What he did:

McCrary-Ball keeps making plays and earning playing time with the first unit:

This is nothing new, though. It's been going on since early on in camp:

Outlook:

To the surprise of many, McCrary-Ball is currently listed as a starter on defense, although the reality is that the Jets will likely be in subpackages most of the time so the third linebacker will have a part-time role.

The Jets first acquired McCrary-Ball when they added the 26-year old former undrafted free agent to their practice squad after final cuts in 2023. He made his NFL debut that year and then returned in 2024, where he was initially on the practice squad but had established himself as a core special-teamer before the season was over.

Him being able to handle that third linebacker role isn't a major concern and he seems to have outplayed the former first round pick Jamin Davis to earn a shot. Players like Chazz Surratt have held their own in the same role despite minimal experience.

The main concern with McCrary-Ball, though, is that he'd be one injury away from a full-time role. That's a scary proposition for a player who has played just THREE defensive snaps in his NFL career.

Still, McCrary-Ball is obviously developing nicely and could be a useful contributor this season.

More on McCrary-Ball:

Here's our in-depth scouting report on McCrary-Ball.