Sees Tight Ends, Mason Taylor and Others as a Sixth Offensive Lineman

Randy Lange

Steve Heiden, the Jets' new offensive line coach, was a tight end in the NFL over 11 seasons in San Diego and Cleveland. During his coaching career at Arizona (2013-22) and Detroit (2023-24) he's had experience with special teams, tight ends and a season as the Cardinals' assistant O-line coach (2018).

Along with HC Aaron Glenn and OC Tanner Engstrand, Heiden made the move from the Motor City to Gotham City where he is overseeing a promising group on the Jets' O-line, which includes a pair of the team's top draft picks the past two years -- LTOlu Fashanuand RTArmand Membou.

"I have a good group of players, which makes it easier," Heiden said. "It's a position that I wanted to be in, a position that I've wanted to get to ever since I came to this league as a coach, basically. My first six years in Arizona, it wasn't always on my title, but that's where I started. That's where I cut my teeth in this league, in the offensive line room. So, I do have some history with it.

"It's a good group that works hard. They work their tails off. I think it's a coachable group. It's a smart group of guys and there's a lot of competition in the group right now."

With Fashanu and Membou expected to hold down the edges on the offensive line, Heiden has inherited a core that includes LGJohn Simpson, CJoe Tippmannand LGAlijah Vera-Tucker. The Jets also signed veteran centerJosh Myers(who conveyed the ball to QB Justin Fields when they were together at Ohio State in 2020).

"Yeah, veteran leadership guy that's been there and done it," Heiden said, referring to Myers. "Played a lot of games in Green Bay [56 over 4 seasons], he and Tippmann have been competing. Yeah, everyone's competing. The whole room's wide open."

With the Lions the past two seasons, Heiden played a big role in the development of versatile TE Sam LaPorta, the No. 34 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He sees the guys playing that position as an extension of the offensive line, which they certainly are. And although his responsibility this season will focus on the O-line, Heiden is in a position to work with the Jets' second-round (No. 42 overall) draft pick in April inMason Taylor, in addition to holdoversJeremy RuckertandZack Kuntz.

"I mean, you're really tied in with the line the whole time," he said. "You're a tight end coach anyway, so it's not that big a deal. Me, being a former blocking tight end [at 6-5, 270], I was essentially a sixth offensive lineman. So, I mean all the techniques are similar. The calls, we all know all the calls. It's pretty similar. There is a learning curve once you initially do it and once you get that learning curve it's fine."

In addition to returning four players who finished the season as starters along the O-line, the Jets have good depth with former draft picksCarter WarrenandMax Mitchell, andXavier Newman, plus the addition in free agency ofChukwuma Okorafor. Heiden has an inkling that his two projected starters at tackle -- Fashanu and Membou -- bring something special to the O-line equation.

"Talented, talented guys that want to get better," he said. "They're still learning the game. They're doing a good job." He added: "Membou can play ball. He's a tough kid. He approaches it the right way. He's smart. Yeah, you see the movement skills, him moving around and being physical with people."

Taking the long view ahead of a long season, Heiden said: "It's a limited pool of guys that can play in this league and you need five of them. And then I think the other thing is the injuries that happen at the position. There's a lot of injuries. So to have a deep set of guys that can be stable, that can go in and play, it's tough to do."