The New York Jets battled through a tight matchup against the Cleveland Browns and emerged victorious, 17-12.

While there were some ugly plays, the Jets have a lot of positives to take from the game. A few players had incredible performances and established themselves as core pieces for the franchise's future.

New York made a large investment in an edge rusher this offseason as they selected David Bailey with the second overall pick in the draft. Bailey came off an incredible season at Texas Tech, earning All-American honors and recording 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, three pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.

The 23-year-old is now having an incredible rookie season with the Jets. Against the Browns, he had seven total tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and four quarterback hits.

He constantly put Deshaun Watson under pressure and looked like the best player on the field. Bailey has 25 total tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble in the first five games of his rookie campaign.

Bailey will look to keep up his incredible season, and he will be a contender to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Garrett Wilson is proving he is still an elite wide receiver after an injury-riddled 2025 season. Wilson was the lead pass catcher for New York against Cleveland in Week 5, as he had seven receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. 

Through five games, Wilson has 31 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns. He had over 1,000 yards in his first three seasons, but not in 2025, as he appeared in just seven games.

Wilson is proving he remains one of the best wide receivers in the league and will remain a core part of the Jets' offense.

Braelon Allen has been a quality piece for New York's offense, playing at a high level while star running back Breece Hall is out. Allen had a big game on the ground against the Browns, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

Allen has always been a great complementary back to Hall and has proven he can be a productive lead rusher when Hall is out. The Jets will continue to lean on him as one of their best offensive weapons even when Hall returns.

New York is now 2-3, and their young players are developing into stars, giving them a promising outlook for the future.