C.J. Mosley, the quarterback of the Jets defense, has landed at No. 46 on the NFL's Top 100 list. It is Mosley's fourth appearance on the list, which is voted on by players throughout the league.
Last season, Mosley finished No. 9 in tackles with a team-leading 158. It was Mosley's second-consecutive season with 150+ tackles, tied for the third-longest streak in the league since 2000. The Jets Mike linebacker returned to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2018, joining a group of 15 active defensive players with at least five selections since he entered the league in 2014.
"C.J.'s awareness, toughness, consistency, his ability to run this defense — we put a lot on his table and he excels in that role," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. "Just an amazing man and teammate."
In the lead-up to the Jets-Patriots second matchup last November, Patriots HC Bill Belichick praised the Jets' No. 57 for his physical skills and smarts.
"Mosley definitely is as good as anybody we play against as a player," he said before to his team's 10-3 win in a game Mosley collected 9 tackles . "But then he's going to quarterback the defense. He gets things right for them like 99.9% of the time."
Since 2021, Mosley has 19 games with 10+ tackles, tied for the second-most in the league. With Mosley starting 17 games last season, the Jets finished fourth in total defense (311.1 yds/g), third in first downs allowed (18.2/g) and second in yards per play (4.84). He is one of the league's smartest players who played in 33 games for the Green & White in 2021-22.
"You always try to anticipate," Mosley said of the cerebral game. "I don't want to be out there just guessing, just reacting to things. You see formations, you get a tell, whether it's from a lineman, a quarterback, a check, a wide receiver being in a certain type of stance. It does take a lot of studying to see those types of things. ... Some things you can't really hide."
A team captain who showed up to camp at 223 pounds, Mosley (31) continues to embrace the daily grind for a team that has increased expectations after adding QB Aaron Rodgers, the future Hall of Famer who was No. 51 on the NFL's Top 100.
"When people hear New York Jets, they're either going to think loses or now when they hear New York Jets, they are going to think automatic Super Bowl, but we can't think that way," Mosley said. "We have to stay focused, we have to stay grounded, and take this camp one day at a time because each day is going to bring a new challenge for us. Each day each person is going to have to accept that challenge and be able to take it on."
