The one constant of the Joe Douglas regime is that the general manager has consistently tried to upgrade the offensive line. It was therefore no surprise when the team signed one of the best available free agent offensive linemen to a big-money three-year deal.
Former San Francisco 49ers guard Laken Tomlinson saw his career get off to an inconsistent start after being a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions back in 2015. However, he’s developed into a consistent player over the past few years and went to his first Pro Bowl last season.
Tomlinson has always played left guard at the pro level, but the Jets spent a first-round pick on Alijah Vera-Tucker to fill that role last season, so the expectation is that Tomlinson will move across to the right side.
However, head coach Robert Saleh has indicated that the current plan is to move Vera-Tucker to the right side.
Even if Tomlinson did end up moving, it wouldn’t be a massive upheaval for him, since that was his position in college. He’s even played there a few times in preseason and regular season action at the pro level.
Right guard was the weak link on the offensive line last year with Greg Van Roten’s inconsistent play over the first half resulting in him being replaced by Laurent Duvernay-Tardif at the trade deadline. But Duvernay-Tardif was underwhelming, too, and arguably didn’t even provide any upgrade over Van Roten, who remains under contract as a potential reserve. Duvernay-Tardif is a free agent and doesn’t look likely to return.
Once he settles back in, Tomlinson should be a solid fit in the Jets’ offense. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and offensive line coach John Benton previously coached him in San Francisco and the scheme is basically the same, giving Tomlinson plenty of opportunities to dominate in the running game with plenty of play action passes to help him hold up in pass protection.
In fact, Tomlinson admitted that the coaching staff was a major factor in getting him to agree to come to the Jets, despite interest from other teams including the 49ers.
On the basis of his combine workout numbers, Tomlinson perhaps wouldn’t have been the type of player the Jets would have targeted for this system as they’ve typically targeted players with outstanding athleticism. Clearly, he’s already proven himself to be athletic enough to thrive in this system. In any case, the then-323-pounder’s pro day workout had been much more impressive anyway.
One area where Tomlinson can really help the Jets is in terms of their chemistry and cohesion on the line. He’s displayed excellent durability by playing over a thousand snaps in five straight seasons and is adept at picking up stunts and twists – an area where the Jets struggled last season leading to them surrendering a lot of quick interior pressure.
The Jets already benefited last year by bringing in a player with a history of good durability when they signed Morgan Moses. That signing had an immediate positive benefit as he ended up starting 16 games due to Mekhi Becton’s injury. Hopefully they will be able to count on Tomlinson in a similar fashion this season.
He should also help their running game, as he’s stout at the point of attack and a good option to run behind in short yardage situations. The 49ers had the seventh-best running attack in the league in 2021 as sixth-round rookie Elijah Mitchell almost reached the thousand-yard barrier.
Tomlinson is regarded as extremely intelligent and with his experience and attitude, he could prove to be an ideal mentor for some of the young linemen on the Jets, including Vera-Tucker.
The veteran is already 30 years old and signed a three-year deal. They will hope he has enough left in the tank to provide them with solid line play for all three years which would give the line as a whole a strong chance of becoming one of the best in the league.
