5 things Jets fans can be thankful for this year

This is about the time of year when Jets fans usually are thankful that another rough season is nearing an end — and this one is no different.

The Aaron Glenn era hasn’t gotten off to a good start. The Jets are assured of a losing record for the 10th straight season and are close to extending the longest current playoff drought in the four major sports to 15 years.

Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were traded. Garrett Wilson is on injured reserve. Justin Fields was benched. With all due respect to Brady Cook, there isn’t a promising young quarterback on the Jets’ roster who could be the future franchise QB.

In another tough season, here are five things Jets fans can be thankful for:

1. Armand Membou

The Jets didn’t hit on their first quarterback of the Glenn-Darren Mougey regime, but they did on their first draft pick. Membou has been the Jets’ best offensive lineman this season and looks like someone who could be a franchise cornerstone.

The No. 7 overall pick, Membou has played all but one offensive snap. He has more than held his own against some of the top pass rushers in the league — from T.J. Watt in Membou’s debut to Myles Garrett a few weeks ago.

Membou had a rough game against Denver in London. The Broncos lead the NFL in sacks, and he learned from that game.

Through 11 games, Membou has allowed four sacks and 25 pressures. According to Pro Football Focus, he has the 14th-highest grade for tackles who have played at least 500 snaps.

2. Trader Mougey

The first-time general manager has made seven trades for players since late August, and some could and should be a part of next year’s team at least.

Five have been playing prominent roles: defensive tackles Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs, cornerback Jarvis Brownlee and receivers John Metchie III and Adonai Mitchell. Of them, only Mitchell’s contract has some guaranteed money next year.

Phillips and Brownlee are not guaranteed. Briggs will be an exclusive rights free agent and Metchie will be a restricted free agent. They could all be back.

The jury is still out on cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor, who has played mostly on special teams in three games, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who hasn’t played yet.

3. Draft capital/flexibility

It’s been a bad year, but there’s hope that it can turn around — and possibly quickly — if the Jets use their salary cap room and draft picks wisely. They acquired two first-round picks for Gardner and a first- and second-rounder for Williams. They currently have two firsts and two seconds in the 2026 draft and three firsts in 2027.  Mougey has plenty of assets to move up for a quarterback or trade down and obtain more picks to use to fill out the many holes on this roster.The Jets also have roughly $73 million in cap space as of now to continue to build this team.

4. Mason Taylor

The Jets’ second-round pick looks like a keeper, but they need to find a way to utilize him better. Taylor is a pass-catching tight end, but he has been targeted fewer than five times in five games. With no No. 2 receiver and Wilson already sidelined for four games, Taylor should have been featured more. He leads the Jets with 37 catches, which ranks fourth among rookie tight ends. His 297 yards are fifth.

5. Special teams group

First-time special teams coordinator Chris Banjo has done a really good job. The Jets are one of two teams with both kickoff and punt return touchdowns this season — and they did it in the same quarter. The Jets also have a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.

Rookie Austin McNamara ranks in the top 10 in net yards per punt and punts inside the 20-yard line. Old reliable Nick Folk is the lone kicker to have made every one of his field goal and extra-point attempts.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.