Our list of the top 25 most important New York Jets entering the 2026 season continues with a center facing a lot of pressure.Coming in at the No. 24 spot is center Josh Myers, a former 2021 second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers. He was a four-year starter there before his current stint in Gang Green.The Jets signed him to a two-year, $11 million extension last December, which initially seemed like a decision that could make an immediate impact. But Myers allowed 28 pressures and committed seven penalties during his first season with the organization in 2025.Entering the 2026 season, the Jets are banking on Myers feeding off that contract extension and making strides on an offensive line that is mostly unchanged from last season. But why does he land on our list here?Why Josh Myers is so importantNew York Jets center Josh Myers (71) holds the ball before a play against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium, Oct 19, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe Jets need to take advantage of the cohesion on the offensive line, as different expectations will be placed upon them this season. Quarterback Justin Fields averaged his third-longest time to throw in 2025 (2.6), but that should not be the case with Geno Smith returning under center.That level of experience should not only benefit Myers under center, but it should also favor left tackle Olu Fashanu, who has excelled in pass protection and is likely due for a much better season with the offensive shift behind a QB who is more of a pocket passer.Myers is also surrounded by 2025 first-rounder Armand Membou, newcomer Dylan Parham, and right guard Joe Tippmann, who signed a four-year, $66.2 million extension earlier this month. After Smith was sacked a career-high 55 times with the Las Vegas Raiders last season, the pressure is firmly on this group, but especially for Myers, whose contract could certainly age poorly if he cannot protect him.Josh Myers' strengths and weaknessesIn addition to the 28 pressures allowed and seven penalties committed last season, Pro Football Focus gave Myers the 39th-ranked overall grade (52.9) out of 40 qualified centers. While his pass blocking grade (62.9) was a much better 24th, his run blocking grade (51.7) left a lot to be desired in 38th, once again highlighting a player who is facing mounting pressure with a veteran QB taking over under center.The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder has a $4.3 million cap hit in 2026, per Spotrac, and his future with the team could be riding on how he performs this season. The pass blocking could come in handy and be key to his success, but the poor play in the running game needs some improvement to maximize the lanes for Breece Hall and the other Jets RBs.What happens if Josh Myers gets hurtHelmets at the line of scrimmage as New York Jets center Josh Myers (71) snaps the ball against the Denver Broncos during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesIf anything were to happen to Myers injury-wise at some point during the season, the Jets would have to turn to Xavier Newman, whom they re-signed after he spent parts of the last three seasons on the team. Newman is technically listed at guard and logged an unimpressive overall grade (46) from PFF last season, but he has made four starts in 21 games for the Jets over the last three seasons and would be a solid depth piece for them to turn to if Myers gets injured.Newman is only 6-foot-2, 297 pounds, so the Jets would definitely give up some size if they turn his way. With that said, he is the only player listed behind Myers on the depth chart. If they are forced to turn elsewhere, the Jets could be in trouble.One way to mitigate that trouble is to move Joe Tippmann back to center, where he started for the first two years of his career before transitioning over to right guard. However, the Jets just handed Tippmann a nice extension to solidify the right side of the line. But if New York went to Tippmann out of desperation, it would have to rearrange their offensive line. Luckily, they have Chukwuma Okorafor and Max Mitchell, who offer experience at tackle. And at the interior, there's a bit more uncertainty with Kohl Levao, Marquis Hayes, rookie sixth-round pick Anez Cooper, and the more experienced and versatile Landon Young. Nonetheless, if Myers goes down, expect Newman to be the one whom the Jets turn to first.Why we ranked Josh Myers hereAs noted, Myers has been decent in pass blocking, but has struggled against the run and faces an uncertain future after his recent extension. The addition of Smith and a familiar OL group could lend itself to more success, but Myers still needs to go out and prove the Jets made the right move when they re-signed him.With the lack of immediate depth behind him at the position, everything is in front of Myers to overcome those struggles from last season. If he makes those strides and can feed off the talent around him on the OL, Myers could take a bigger leap and improve his stock on this roster. If not, then the Jets will be faced with an interesting decision next offseason. For now, Myers still has some room for improvement going into Year 2 with the Jets. However, the potential is there for him and the Jets' offense to take flight in 2026, but it will come down to the expectations set in front of him.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow