That's why fourth-round pick Jerricho Cotchery's performance in camp is making the Jets much more comfortable.

Many teams passed on Cotchery because of his lack of speed, which is why he said he was trying to make up for it by overdressing for his combine interviews. Yet the Jets are interested in Cotchery's impressive vertical leap, cutting ability and his talent for making a quick turn in order to separate from defenders. That how he got open at North Carolina State for 200 career receptions and 15 100-yard receiving games, breaking school records previously held by St. Louis Rams star Torry Holt.

In his final two seasons for the Wolfpack, Cotchery caught 153 balls for 2,561 yards and 17 touchdowns. He's also just one of two receivers in Atlantic Coast Conference history to record 200 catches and 3,000 receiving yards in a career. Florida State's Peter Warrick was the other.

The Jets definitely have plans on how to use Cotchery, whose particular skills matched with accurate arm of quarterback Chad Pennington make him ideal as the heir apparent to Chrebet at slot receiver. Cotchery led the Jets with three catches for 50 yards last week against New Orleans while Chrebet sat with a groin injury.

Sitting behind several receivers when he first got to college, Cotchery's start with N.C. State came on the kickoff and punt return teams. As a freshman, he was the team's Player of the Year on special teams.

The Jets, however, seem ready to use him at receiver as much as possible. Coach Herman Edwards has already said he would look at using Cotchery when the Jets go with a four-receiver set and likely much more if Cotchery continues to impress in camp.

"If I'm the head coach he's going to be playing more than (just as the No. 4 receiver)," Edwards said. "To me, he's a guy who's showing up. If he shows up again this week, we'll be saying, `Yeah, he caught another one, he made another play. Wow.' When you put him in there he's going to make a play."

Edwards is constantly yelling out Cotchery's number to the defense during drills, always pointing to where he is on the field and then rubbing it in every time Cotchery makes another catch.

"It feels good because it helps out with what I'm trying to get accomplished," Cotchery said. "I'm trying to earn the respect of my teammates and once they hear him calling my name they're going to be like, `Okay, who's No. 89? That's Jerricho Cotchery.' That will get the fear from every teammate knowing that (I'm) out there working."