The Jets’ pass-rush picture for 2026 starts with two names at the top of the board: Will McDonald and David Bailey. Everything else is important, but those two are the engines.
That doesn’t mean the rest of the room is just filler. The Jets are clearly looking for pressure from all over the defense - tackles, linebackers, safeties and corners can all chip in - but the heaviest load is going to land on McDonald and Bailey. Around them, there’s a mix of proven production, one-year bets and roster hopefuls trying to carve out a role.
Kingsley Enagbare arrives on a one-year, $10 million deal and brings a track record that matters. He has 103 pressures over the last four years.
Joseph Ossai is another interesting add, coming off a 43-pressure season. Officially, he had 2 sacks, though PFF had him at 5.
Tyler Baron, a fifth-round pick, will try to show more in year two.
Then there’s the group fighting just to stay in the picture. Eric Watts has hung around for a couple of seasons after going undrafted in 2024.
Paschal Ekeji, a former Rugby Union player, came in through the international pathway. Kingsley Jonathan is back for a second stint with the Jets.
Braiden McGregor feels like he’s at the point where it’s now or never. Nathan Voorhis is the dark horse here, fresh off a 12-sack season in the MAC, and the Jets’ shift toward more 3-4 should help him because of his size limitations as a traditional DE.
Any of those players could matter this season, especially Ossai and Enagbare.
Still, the whole thing comes back to the two former first-round picks. The Jets are going to go only as far as McDonald and Bailey can take them.
McDonald is heading into year four after a solid season that produced 42 pressures and 8 sacks. That was down from 2024, when he posted 61 pressures and 10.5 sacks.
In Other News...
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The debate now is less about whether the Jets need help and more about what kind of quarterback is actually worth the price. The discussion centers on whether a potential target is closer to the version that flashed early or the one that has looked more ordinary lately, with the broader evaluation landing somewhere in the middle: not elite, but clearly better than average. For a team still searching for stability, that kind of judgment matters almost as much as the trade market itself. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Quarterback Situation Just Drew A Brutal National Verdict
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For a team trying to reset after such a rough year, that kind of national verdict is hard to ignore. The Jets do not just need better play at quarterback, they need stability, and the current mix leaves little margin for error as Glenn tries to build something more durable for the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Linked To Another Secondary Gamble Fans Will Have Strong Opinions On
The Jets have already spent the offseason trying to remake their defense, and another veteran secondary name has now entered the conversation. NFL analyst Kristopher Knox recently pointed to Trevon Diggs as a possible fit in New York, which is the kind of suggestion that immediately gets attention around a team that has leaned hard into upgrading its back end.
Diggs brings a reputation built on ball production, with 20 career interceptions, but he also comes with the kind of uncertainty that tends to split opinion in New York. The Jets have already added Minkah Fitzpatrick, a five-time Pro Bowler with 21 career interceptions, along with other defensive moves and draft picks, so the question is whether another swing in the secondary would be smart depth or one more high-variance bet. [Read more 🡒]