Think back to where the Jets were a year ago at this time.

They had just purged their roster of familiar names with big contracts. At quarterback, they were hoping Christian Hackenberg would grab the starting job, and they signed career journeyman Josh McCown as an insurance policy if he did not.

The talk of tanking and 0-16 was everywhere. Hope, however, was hard to find.

Twelve months later, there is hope.

The Jets enter this summer with more hope for long-term success than they have had since the early Rex Ryan days. Sam Darnold is the first young quarterback they have had in almost a decade who makes you think he could be the answer. The foundation of a young core began to form last year with rookies Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye joining Leonard Williams on the defense.

With a month left before the Jets report to training camp, most fans are feeling good about the direction of their team.

But a look at some recent evaluations of the roster and possibilities for 2018 show that though the future looks better than it has in a while, the present still has some potholes.

ESPN recently ranked the Jets 32ndin their analytical “FPI” rankings — based on their analytics department’s evaluations of teams’ offense, defense and special teams. The ratings for the “Madden 19” game came out this week and the Jets were the worst team there.

These are just opinions, of course, but they also show that though the Jets have made progress, there is still a long way to go.

Those inside the organization, other than the players, know this. In truth, this is the second year of a three-year plan Mike Maccagnan and his lieutenants came up with after the terrible 2016 season. It was time to stop patching the roster together with 30-somethings and tear it down. That is what happened last year, and along the way they had the most celebrated 5-11 season in history.

This year’s mission was to find a quarterback, and the Jets believe they have with Darnold — who they picked third overall in the draft out of USC. They also wanted to add some more pieces to the core of this team, and they did with the addition of Trumaine Johnson and Avery Williamson in free agency, along with more draft picks.

Next year, the Jets are expected to have more salary-cap space than any other team in the NFL. That will be the time to go for it.

This has been a dark decade for the Jets, one that compares to the 1970s. The Jets have not made the playoffs in the past seven seasons. If they do not make the playoffs this year, that will tie the second-longest playoff drought in team history, trailing only the 11-year dismal run from 1970-81. Just the Browns and Buccaneers have gone longer without making the playoffs.

The Jets hope the addition of Darnold will bring that run without a playoff game to an end. The next few years might even bring the Jets’ first home playoff game at MetLife Stadium.

Team chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson has said Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles do not face playoff mandates this year. Still, this is a huge year for both men, especially Bowles.

The coach enters this year 20-28 in his three years in charge.

“Well, we get judged off wins and losses. So right now, I’m not a very good coach,” Bowles said earlier this month. “Hopefully, we can win a lot of ball games and I can become a very good coach.”

Low expectations helped Bowles keep his job last season. Now, the expectations are rising.

No one should be picking the Jets to win the Super Bowl this year. But hope has returned to Florham Park this summer. That’s worth something.