Ruckert caught his only target for eight yards in Sunday's 11-6 loss to the Dolphins.
What it means:
Ruckert's impact as a rookie was limited primarily to special teams, as his lone catch came in the season finale. The 2022 third-round draft pick out of Ohio State played more than six offensive snaps only twice while being blocked by Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah on the tight end depth chart. Ruckert flashed some intriguing skills in college, but he may need an injury or two in front of him to showcase those skills, as both Conklin and Uzomah are expected to remain with the Jets in 2023.
Ruckert didn't catch his only target in Sunday's 31-30 win over the Browns.
What it means:
Ruckert made his NFL debut after sitting out the season opener, but the rookie third-round pick out of Ohio State wasn't heavily involved in the game plan. While Ruckert's a name to file away for the future, his short-term fantasy prospects are limited, even while C.J. Uzomah's recovering from a hamstring injury.
Ruckert (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's season opener against the Ravens, Billy Riccette of USA Today reports.
What it means:
Ruckert missed all of the Jets' OTAs and half of training camp due to a foot injury. While he's now healthy, the rookie third-round pick missed a substantial amount of install time and will continue to be brought along slowly. New York made a splash in free agency this offseason by adding C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, so they'll be in no rush to thrust Ruckert into action if he isn't 100 percent comfortable with the playbook.
Ruckert caught both of his targets for three yards and a touchdown in Friday's 24-21 preseason win over Philadelphia.
What it means:
A nice play design on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line allowed Ruckert to slip open underneath, and fourth-string quarterback Chris Streveler found the rookie tight end for a touchdown. Ruckert will likely be brought along slowly behind C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, but it's nice to see the third-round pick out of Ohio State healthy and contributing after he missed most of the offseason program due to a foot injury.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday that Ruckert is playing catchup after missing all of New York's OTAs and half of training camp, Ethan Sears of the New York Post reports.
What it means:
"He's swimming a little bit," Saleh said. "Obviously there's a lot of information coming in. He missed all of OTAs, half of training camp, and he's getting into the thick of it in the middle of it." The Jets have veterans C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin at the top of the tight-end depth chart, so there's no need to rush the rookie third-round pick back. However, Ruckert has immense upside and would give second-year quarterback Zach Wilson another legit receiving threat when he's finally up to speed with the playbook. "Love his movement, love his athleticism. He's everything we though he would be. Now it's just a matter of him catching up to the playbook," Saleh added.
Ruckert (foot) was activated from the non-football injury list Wednesday, Ethan Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports.
What it means:
Ruckert can now practice with the team after missing the start of training camp with a foot injury. The rookie is currently the No. 3 tight end on the Jets' depth chart, behind C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. Ruckert totaled 54 catches for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in his time at Ohio State. The Jets' third-round pick in 2022 will now have a chance to prove himself in camp and compete for snaps moving forward.
