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Jets rookie minicamp: 3 stories to watch – Metro US

Jets rookie minicamp: 3 stories to watch

Rookie tackle Oday Aboushi, left,  could be an immediate contributor to the offense.  Credit: Getty Images Rookie tackle Oday Aboushi, left, could be an immediate contributor to the offense.
Credit: Getty Images

Rookie minicamp is here for the Jets and there is more intrigue than in most years. For starters, the Jets are bringing in seven draft picks including two first round selections and three total players who were consensus Top-10 picks in most mock drafts.

It will also be the first chance for new general manager John Idzik to implement his mantra of competition and try to rebuild a team just two seasons removed from consecutive AFC Championship game appearances.

But the most intriguing storylines are not first-round picks Dee Milliner or Sheldon Richardson, or even quarterback Geno Smith. We look at stories at rookie minicamp among the names you may not be so familiar with.

Three storylines to watch …

1. Oday can you be?

The Jets used a fifth-round pick on Virginia tackle Oday Aboushi, who could end up playing guard in the NFL. The Jets lost both of their starting guards from last year and Aboushi could slide over and end up making a push to win one of those two open positions, in particular Brandon Moore’s slot at right guard. He’s a real mauler with a good engine, but his footwork needs some fine-tuning. Aboushi, a native of Brooklyn, is relatively polished and if he can improve his mobility could give starting right tackle Austin Howard some good competition too. But the guard competition might be his best chance to get immediate playing time.

2. Pass-catching fullback

In the Jets’ new West Coast offense, a fullback who can not only block down field but also catch the ball is necessary as the quarterback will utilize the backfield for short passing situations. Enter seventh-round pick Tommy Bohanon, who displayed this type of versatility at Wake Forest and can be utilized as an H-back as well. He is a good athlete and considering the mixed reviews of fullback Lex Hilliard last year, Bohanon has a good chance to make the team and make a statement to be starter. He’s a good athlete and by all accounts interviewed well during his visits leading up to the draft.

3. Hansen the tryout player

Nose tackle Damon Harrison emerged last year as an undrafted free agent who made the 53-man roster and then started to contribute by season’s end. A name to watch as a rookie camp invitee this year is linebacker Matt Hansen, University of Rhode Island’s all-time leading tackler. He was signed by the Falcons to their practice squad in 2011 and then last June he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon. He is now fully healed and could add depth at linebacker. Hansen is good in coverage and has a nose for the ball, something that could make him an intriguing prospect.

Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.