This is another story in our series looking at the Jets' current roster ahead of the March 11 start of the unrestricted free agent signing period. In this installment, the defense. HC Aaron Glenn has revamped the unit's coaching staff, naming Brian Duker the team's new defensive coordinator, along with Karl Dunbar the defensive line coach, Cameron Davis the assistant defensive line coach, safeties coach Ryan Slowik, defensive assistant/nickels coach Ronald Booker and defensive assistant Collin Bauer.

Defensive Line
Among several of GM Darren Mougey's savvy, non-drafted acquisitions few stand out more than the addition of DT Jowon Briggs. The seventh-round selection of the Browns in the 2024 NFL Draft, Briggs (6-1, 313) appeared in only 6 games his rookie season. He was traded to the Jets in late August in a deal that included a swap of late-round draft picks. His role expanded after Quinnen Williams was traded to Dallas and Briggs earned 8 starts, finished with 4 sacks and 10 QB hits.

DL Trivia
Two pass rushers, one outside and one inside, thrived in '25 and thick in the mix in '26. Will McDonald IV, coming off the edge most often, notched team-leading totals of 8 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 19 QB hits and 8 penalties caused, including 6 holds and an intentional grounding. McDonald at Tampa Bay also used his rare athleticism to become the sixth Jet to return a blocked FG for a touchdown and the first to do it off his own block, speeding 50 yards to the house. Mr. Inside was 313-pound Jowon Briggs , who muscled his way to second-place finishes on the Green & White with 4 sacks and 10 QB hits.

Linebackers
A neck injury in December that landed him on injured reserve might have ended his season prematurely, but rookie Kiko Mauigoa will be back and better next season. The fifth-round selection out of Miami in the 2025 NFL Draft stepped in ably and started 8 games when Quincy Williams was out injured. In his 12 games on the field, Mauigoa finished No. 8 on the team in total tackles (45). His brother Francis was an offensive lineman, who had declared for the NFL Draft, who also played at Miami and was part of the Hurricanes team that played in the College Football National Championship game in January.

LB Trivia
Jamien Sherwood established a good foundation for his continued improvement in the middle of the Jets defense with a unit-leading campaign this past season. He topped the team in multiple categories — 152 total tackles (clearing 150 for the second straight season), 17.5 tackles for loss/no gain on runs and receptions (surpassing four-year leader Quincy Williams, who had 14), and 14 third-/fourth-down tackles to prevent first downs. And Sherwood did all that in his fourth consecutive 17-game season, his second straight 16-start campaign, and to the tidy team-leading tune of 1,111 scrimmage plays, all on defense, of course.

Cornerbacks
Brandon Stephens, signed by the Jets in free agency after four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, came in as the No. 2 CB behind Sauce Gardner, but ended the season as the undisputed No. 1 at the position for the Green & White. Stephens started and played in 16 games and was fourth on the team with 73 tackles (third with 47 solo), 4 TFL, a team-leading 9 PD and a forced fumble.

CB Trivia
Azareye'h Thomas showed he could step in for a big name on the Jets corner and perhaps be a name player himself. The third-round rookie from FSU became a starter when the Jets traded Sauce Gardner to the Colts. Sauce left with 6 PDs in his 7 games. Thomas promptly extended his own streak to 6 PDs in 6 games played before going on IR. AZ's streak of a defense in 6 consecutive games was tied for the NFL's 5th-longest last season and was the longest by a rookie. What's more, Thomas is taking the league's longest current PD streak into '26. If he gets to 8 games in a row, he'll tie two other big names for longest Jets streaks since 2000: Darrelle Revis in '07-08 and current HC Aaron Glenn in '01.

Safeties
Malachi Moore, a fourth-round selection, 130th overall, out of Alabama in the 2025 NFL draft, led the Jets safeties with 950 defensive snaps, 1,094 total snaps and all 17 games played (14 starts). He got better and better as the season wore on, emerging as a leader in the room.

S Trivia
And a rookie shall lead them. Moore led the Jets safeties with 950 defensive snaps, 1,094 total snaps and all 17 games played (14 of them starts). Moore joins a select group of Jets safeties since 1965 who started 14 or more games in their rookie seasons: Burgess Owens (1973), Darrol Ray (1980), Erik Coleman (2003), Kerry Rhodes (2004) and the dynamic rookie duo of Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye (2017). And wouldn't it be cool if Moore, who recorded the Jets' last interception (vs. Philadelphia in the '25 preseason finale), came up with the pick to jump-start the Jets defense in the coming season?