Returnees: DL Quinnen Williams (6th year), DL Solomon Thomas (8th), DL Micheal Clemons (3rd), Edge Will McDonald (2nd), DL Tanzel Smart (4th), DL Jalyn Holmes (5th), DL Bruce Hector (3rd)
New Vets: DL Javon Kinlaw (5th year), DL Leki Fotu (5th), Edge/LB Haason Reddick (8th), DL Takk McKinley (7th)
Newcomers: Edge Braiden McGregor (UDFA), DL Leonard Taylor (UDFA), DL Eric Watts (UDFA)
What's New
New Jersey native Haason Reddick.
After two seasons in Philadelphia, Reddick makes the trek up Interstate 95 and takes the exit to I-287 en route to 1 Jets Drive in Florham Park. He is expected to be an able replacement for Bryce Huff, who coincidentally signed in free agency with the Eagles.
Reddick brings along a compelling résumé. Last season with that other team in green, Reddick logged 11 sacks, 23 QB hits, 13 tackles for loss and was named to the Pro Bowl. In his first season in Philly (after a season in Carolina and four years in Arizona), he delivered a career-high 16 sacks, 26 QB hits and finished fourth in voting for the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. Over the past four NFL seasons, the Camden, NJ, native has amassed 51 sacks, fourth-most in the NFL behind Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson (53), Cleveland's Myles Garrett (58) and Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt (62).
In addition, the Jets added Javon Kinlaw (San Francisco) and Leki Fotu (Las Vegas) in free agency, each of whom will be entering his fifth season in the NFL. After minicamp in June, the team signed Takk McKinley (Atlanta's first-round draft pick in 2017 after a tryout). With the Falcons, McKinley played for Jeff Ulbrich, now the Jets' defensive coordinator, when he was Atlanta's linebackers coach.
Take a look through some of the best photos of the Jets defensive lineman during the offseason.
DL Quinnen Williams
DL Takk McKinley
DL Micheal Clemons
DL Leonard Taylor III
EDGE Will McDonald
DL Bruce Hector
DL Tanzel Smart
DL Javon Kinlaw & Bruce Hector
DL Solomon Thomas
DL Leki Fotu
DL Eric Watts
DL Leki Fotu
DL Bruce Hector
DL Quinnen Williams
DL Tanzel Smart
DL Solomon Thomas
DL Quinnen Williams
EDGE Braiden McGregor
DL Jalyn Holmes
DL Leonard Taylor III
DL Bruce Hector, Jalyn Holmes, Tanzel Smart
DL Eric Watts & Jalyn Holmes
DL Javon Kinlaw
EDGE Braiden McGregor
DL Micheal CLemons
DL Leonard Taylor III
EDGE Will McDonald
DL Javon Kinlaw
Strength of the Group
With so much offseason attention focused on the Jets' revamped and strengthened offensive line, it would be easy to overlook the defensive line, which is experiencing its own modest reinvention.
A few weeks after Bryce Huff signed in free agency with Philadelphia, Jets general manager Joe Douglas engineered a trade with the Eagles to acquire two-time Pro Bowl selection Haason Reddick for a conditional draft pick.
On the opposite end of the D-line, Jermaine Johnson, entering his third pro season, emerged in 2023 as a bona fide edge threat, logging 7.5 sacks, 7 passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception that he returned for a touchdown against Cleveland -- all of which earned him his first Pro Bowl berth. Will McDonald, the Jets' top draft pick last year, is looking to mirror the leap Johnson made in his sophomore season. Micheal Clemons is kind of an X factor: furious and a lot of potential tempered by some "enthusiastic" penalties.
Two-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams remains the inside focal point. His sack numbers declined from 12 in 2022 to 5.5 last season as opposing coordinators schemed to neutralize him. Free-agent additions Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu combined for 97 QB pressures and 66 run stops last season for their respective teams. Depth will be led by re-signed veteran Solomon Thomas.
With the departures of Huff, John Franklin-Myers (traded to Denver) and Quinton Jefferson (signed by Cleveland) the Jets lost a trio who combined for 134 QB pressures and 78 run stops.
"The guys that are coming in to replace them," MLB/captain C.J. Mosley said, "they have big shoes to fill."
Biggest Question
Can Will McDonald, the team's top draft pick in 2023, improve and become a force in his sophomore season in the NFL?
After drafting McDonald out of Iowa State (the same place RB Breece Hall also starred), we were wowed by videos of Pewaukee, WI, native jumping over cars. Now the Jets and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich would love to see him make a leap ... on the football field.
After OTAs and the mandatory minicamp, Ulbrich said that he's already seen improvement.
"Just a different level of focus, determination," Ulbrich said about McDonald. "Rookies, they all struggle in some way or another. Some have more success than others, but they all will have an adjustment period to this league, just the rigors of it, the length of the season, the physicality of it, the speed of the game, all that. So to see him now a little bit more settled, a little bit more focused, a deeper understanding of what it takes to be successful in this league, I'm very excited for him."
Potential Training Camp Battle to Watch
Who joins Quinnen Williams on the interior of the defensive line? Javon Kinlaw, Leki Fotu, Solomon Thomas or Takk McKinley? Then again, DC Jeff Ulbrich likes to keep his guys fresh and frosty. So in training camp, it's likely to be less of a "battle" than forging a reasonable rotation as the regular season approaches.
What They're Saying
Jets General Manager Joe Douglas: "[Haason] Reddick has been one of most productive rushers of the past five years. We're adding one of the best in the NFL. Next to Jermaine Johnson, he's someone we feel will help Will McDonald to take the next step. We now have three elite blazers off the edge."
