Jets’ Jowon Briggs Emerging as Key Piece in Defensive Resurgence
When the Jets traded for Jowon Briggs ahead of the season, it barely made a ripple. A seventh-round pick with limited rookie-year snaps in Cleveland, Briggs wasn’t expected to be more than a rotational body on the defensive line. Fast forward a few months, and he’s not just in the mix-he’s helping anchor a defense that’s found its footing after a brutal start.
“It is a blessing and an opportunity,” Briggs said about his time in New York. “Just being able to get off the ball and attack. I just like being able to press the issue on the offensive line.”
That mindset has translated to the field. At 6-foot-1 and 313 pounds, Briggs brings a low center of gravity and a high motor to the interior.
He started the year as a depth piece, filling in on early downs and in sub-packages. But when the Jets traded Quinnen Williams to Dallas at the deadline, the door opened-and Briggs didn’t hesitate to walk through it.
Now a starter, Briggs has taken on a much larger role, and the numbers back up his impact. He’s tied with Jermaine Johnson for second on the team in sacks with three, and his presence in the trenches has helped solidify a unit that was once among the worst in the league.
In Week 12 against Baltimore, Briggs and the Jets’ front held Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense to just 98 rushing yards. Briggs finished that game with five tackles and a sack-one that came on a key third down, collapsing the pocket and forcing Jackson into the turf.
Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has seen this coming.
“We knew, particularly coach [Eric] Washington, of his skill set,” Wilks said. “It was just a matter of time before we started to see exactly what we envisioned.
He can really create some one-on-ones and dominate, which you saw last week. He’s playing great ball.”
Wilks also credited the interior tandem of Briggs and Harrison Phillips for stabilizing the defense and freeing up the edge rushers to do their thing. That inside-out balance has been crucial during the team’s recent turnaround.
After starting the season 0-7, the Jets have now won three of their last five. It hasn’t been flashy, but it’s been gritty-and Briggs has been right in the thick of it.
Head coach Aaron Glenn praised the front office’s decision to bring Briggs in, calling it “a really good move by our scouting department.” Glenn sees a player who’s not only strong at the point of attack but also showing real growth as a pass rusher.
“He’s able to stop the run because he’s been doing a good job of that,” Glenn said. “But what’s been surprising-or maybe not surprising-is his ability to rush the passer.
We want to be able to utilize that. I’m not saying he’s Mean Joe Greene or anything like that, but he’s been doing a really good job of being disruptive in the pass game also.”
Briggs’ contract situation gives the Jets even more reason to be excited. He’ll be an exclusive-rights free agent at the end of the season, meaning the team can retain him on a one-year deal at the league minimum without competition from other clubs. It’s a low-cost, high-upside situation for a player who’s already paying dividends.
But there’s more to Briggs than just football. Off the field, he’s got a creative side that’s just as impressive.
A trained tenor, Briggs sang with the University Singers and the Hullabahoos a cappella group during his time at Virginia before transferring to Cincinnati. His musical talents don’t stop there-he plays a wide range of instruments, from piano and guitar to cello, saxophone, drums, and even harmonica.
“I’ve always sang,” Briggs said. “I was in a bunch of music plays, concerts, all types of solos and duets in high school and elementary school and played a lot of different instruments. That comes from a trickle-down effect from my family.”
His sisters were multi-instrumentalists, and his younger brother is still making music today. For Briggs, creativity has always been part of the equation-whether it’s on stage, in the studio, or now, in the trenches of the NFL.
So while the trade that brought him to New York may have flown under the radar, Briggs is making sure his play-and maybe one day, his voice-won’t be ignored.