Jets waive 2 players as rookie minicamp gets underway

The New York Jets will hold their rookie minicamp this weekend. It represents the first time their eight draft picks and 11 undrafted free agents will hit the practice field.

Before then, general manager Darren Mougey made a trio of roster moves.

The Jets waived offensive lineman Gus Hartwig and defensive back Chris Smith II. They also designated defensive lineman Paschal Ekeji as their exempt/international player, which means he won't count towards the 90-man roster.

Ekeji was initially signed to the Jets' practice squad in November and agreed to a reserve/future contract in January. The former rugby star holds citizenship in three separate countries and was previously one of 13 players selected as part of the NFL's International Pathway Program. He'll continue developing his raw abilities at Jets practice without taking up a roster spot.

Hartwig signed with the Jets as a UDFA out of Purdue last year, but was waived/injured in July. The former Boilermakers starter missed his entire rookie campaign after starting 45 games at center in college. The Jets have clearly given up on developing Hartwig.

Smith was a pretty high-profile prospect coming out of Georgia. Despite being drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, he hasn't been able to find his footing in the NFL. The Jets claimed Smith off waivers in December, but obviously didn't see enough reason to keep him around on the 90-man offseason roster.

This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets waive 2 players as rookie minicamp gets underway