The vibes are high in Florham Park. Not because of the Jets' 17-0 victory over the Steelers Friday night in the Steel City, but because of how they looked while doing so. The Jets chose to play their starters throughout the early stages of the contest against a small collection of starters for the Steelers. That means the preseason debut of starting quarterback Geno Smith in his first game with the Jets since 2016, and the arrival of a second overall phenom. More importantly, though, the Jets looked like a team with a plan on Friday night. Here are three things we learned most from the contest. And why Jets fans should be excited. 3. Jets' offense will be excitingLive by Geno. Die by Geno. That is the strategy the Jets are going to employ on offense this season. The 36-year-old is not some elite thrower of the football, but he is someone who can help make New York's offense exciting for the first time in decades. That showed out in his lone preseason drive of the night. Smith went a perfect 7-of-7 passing for 65 yards and a touchdown pass to tight end Jelani Woods. Along the way, he shared the ball to several targets, including AD Mitchell, Garrett Wilson and Mason Taylor. — New York Jets (@nyjets) August 21, 2026If the Jets look like that the entire year, this offense will be fun to watch. At the very least, Friday showed that a good Geno Smith can keep things exciting for this offense. 2. Jets rookie class takes another positive stepThings could not have gone better for New York's rookie class on Friday. Wideout Omar Cooper Jr. took reps with the first team offense over veteran Isaiah Williams, ending a week of speculation from some members of the Jets fanbase. David Bailey—New York's vaunted second overall pass rusher—recorded a sack, his first of the preseason, and took part in several solid run fits. Even Cade Klubnik, New York's fourth-round QB, was solid, going 10-of-14 passing for 75 yards. While he didn't lead a scoring drive, Klubnik stood tall while his offensive line broke down in front of him, highlighted by a 16-yard scramble in the first quarter. — NFL (@NFL) August 21, 2026There will be more that is needed to see from this group, especially with cornerback D'Angelo Ponds and tight end Kenyon Sadiq still out with injuries. Sixth-round guard Anez Cooper also struggled mightily after a strong start to the preseason. But as a whole, the 2026 rookie class continues to show out. 1. Achilles heel shownJets general manager Darren Mougey had an excellent offseason, improving the overall talent of this team. It's showing out through two preseason games and a joint practice. But there's one thing that New York will need to fix sooner rather than later.Depth. Gang Green's backup offensive line was destroyed multiple times in Friday's contest, with particular struggles coming at tackle between Chukwuma Okorafor and Max Mitchell. The second-team pass rushers weren't exactly pristine either. Part of building an improved roster is learning how important depth is. The Jets are in the next stage of their rebuild, where it will mean more than ever in 2026 and beyond. At this point, though, depth is a major concern in key areas across the roster. Get Jets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow