Position Reset for '25
The Jets have changed the interior landscape around three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams. After the previous regime claimed Phidarian Mathis (6-4, 312) off waivers last December, GM Darren Mougey added Byron Cowart (6-3, 300), Jay Tufele (6-3, 305) and Derrick Nnadi (6-1, 317) in free agency.
"BC, Byron Cowart, is doing well. Jay [Tufele] is doing great," said new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. "We got Leonard [Taylor III] who was here. We got some pieces that can complement him, so it's just waiting, wait and see exactly how it pans out. I thought those guys are doing well. I'm really excited about Jay and BC, but we got to wait until we get the pads on and see exactly how things pan out."
Cowart played last season under Jets DL coach Eric Washington in Chicago, registering 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks while appearing in 15 games (7 starts).
"I like the blend of the group," Washington said. "One person in particular, I'm familiar with is Byron Cowart. We were together last year in Chicago, but just a big fan of Jay Tufele, Phidarian Mathis. I remember evaluating him doing a thorough evaluation of him coming out of Alabama. So, there's some intriguing prospects there. There's definitely some traits, there's some intelligence and mentality. We just got to make sure it's all shaped and directed and where we needed to go."
The 6-3, 303-pound Williams, 27, who has amassed 39 sacks and 52 TFL in 90 career games, thinks there is plenty of room for individual improvement.
"A lot of mistakes, especially when it comes down to the run game and block strain and extension in my arms," he said. "I'm finishing my pass rushes, pad level, different things I did that I kind of, I guess, struggled with last year. And I just want to be able to get better at and fine tune some things this year, so I can be a better player in those aspects."
The Jets' reinforcements at edge include Jermaine Johnson, who is returning from an Achilles tendon tear and could start camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list; veteran free agent signee Rashad Weaver, a fifth-year pro who racked up 5.5 sacks with the Tennessee Titans in 2022; and fifth-round pick Tyler Baron.
"He actually showed really good pass rush ability," said HC Aaron Glenn of Baron, who had 5.5 sacks last season at Miami. "So now it's just nudging him a little bit more to get him over that hump to be a really good player for us and we expect our player to do that for us."
| Jets DL | '24 Team(s) | Exper in '25 | '24 GP-GS-DNP-IA | '24 D-ST-TotSnaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnen Williams | NYJ | 7th | 16 - 16 - 0 - 1 | 724 - 78 - 802 |
| Will McDonald (EDGE) | NYJ | 3rd | 17 - 15 - 0 - 0 | 758 - 15 - 773 |
| Micheal Clemons | NYJ | 4th | 17 - 17 - 0 - 0 | 625 - 93 - 718 |
| Eric Watts | NYJ | 2nd | 14 - 0 - 0 - 3 | 231 - 132 - 363 |
| Byron Cowart | CHI | 5th | 15 - 7 - 1 - 1 | 335 - 27 - 362 |
| Phidarian Mathis | WAS-NYJ | 4th | 12 - 0 - 0 - 4 | 257 - 54 - 311 |
| Derrick Nnadi | KC | 8th | 17 - 1 - 0 - 0 | 221 - 62 - 283 |
| Jay Tufele | CIN | 5th | 13 - 3 - 0 - 4 | 243 - 31 - 274 |
| Leonard Taylor | NYJ | 2nd | 14 - 0 - 0 - 3 | 261 - 1 - 262 |
| Braiden McGregor (EDGE) | NYJ | 2nd | 7 - 0 - 0 - 10 | 83 - 35 - 118 |
| Rashad Weaver | HOU-LRM | 5th | 3 - 0 - 8 - 3 | 14 - 26 - 40 |
| Kingsley Jonathan | BUF | 3rd | 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 | 7 - 13 - 20 |
| Tyler Baron | Miami | R | .......... | .......... |
| Michael Fletcher | Appalachian St. | R | .......... | .......... |
| Fatorma Mulbah | W. Virginia | R | .......... | .......... |
| Payton Page | Clemson | R | .......... | .......... |
Storyline to Watch
Now wearing No. 9, Will McDonald IV broke out last season with 10.5 sacks. McDonald remained hungry throughout the offseason, adding 15 pounds of muscle onto his wiry 6-4 frame.
"He's pretty stout when it comes to anchoring and setting the edge in the defense," said defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of McDonald. "The thing that he needs to be consistent with is understanding his gap and maintaining that. Getting these guys to understand there's 11 guys doing one job and have trust in your teammate on the outside and the inside that they're going to be in their gap as well. Yes, I'm pleased that he's putting on the mass, but I'm also happy that the fact that I've seen on tape and what I've seen thus far that he can set the edge in the run game."
Lost to an Achilles tendon tear in Week 2 last season, Jermaine Johnson intends to start across from McDonald when the Jets host Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers in Week 1. Johnson (6-5, 254) worked with the training staff throughout OTAs and minicamp.
"He's a hard-nosed, physical, violent player that's very athletic, that has the ability to win off the edge and make plays on the quarterback," HC Aaron Glenn said of Johnson. "Listen, you don't get a lot of guys that have the athleticism that he does but are still strong and powerful enough to hold up against the run. I'm excited to see that player get out there in training camp and going into the first game."
Johnson, who recently got engaged to fitness influencer Hannah Brooke, never lost his love for the game despite his setback.
"I'm a man of faith," Johnson said. "I cried a little bit, like right after I got hurt, but the same reason I decided to take the interview right after I got hurt – I'm just a man of faith. So, God wanted me to walk through this, and I took it like that. I bodied this rehab, and I have full confidence that I'm going to come back without missing a beat."
What They're Saying
Edge Jermaine Johnson
"I'm like, 'I'm letting the guys down.' They put a lot of stock into that, I know they did. And I wasn't there to hold up my end of the bargain or lift my end of the couch. So, just watching that and seeing that some of those games were close and some of that stuff, I know I can help in the run, I know I'm just a plus to have on the field, I know this. It was hard for me to watch that. Like I told AG already, my main concern is being the best teammate, being the best version of me, and making up for last year."
DL Trivia
McDonald led the Jets last season with 10.5 sacks. Williams had his 12-sack season in 2022. Johnson notched 7.5 sacks on his way to Pro Bowl status in '23. It's conceivable the Jets in '25 could have a pair of double-digit sackers in a season for the first time since Muhammad Wilkerson (10.5) and Calvin Pace (10) in 2013. And they haven't had three double-digit sackers since Gerry Philbin, Verlon Biggs and John Elliott all did it, unofficially, in 1968 and again in '69.
