The Jets went into the 2026 offseason with a clear mandate after finishing 31st in sacks and 29th in rushing yards allowed: fix the defensive line. Darren Mougey did exactly that, overhauling the group with two draft picks, two eight-figure free-agent additions, and a trade acquisition.
Now comes the tricky part - figuring out how all those pieces fit together.
At defensive tackle, Jowon Briggs looks like the anchor. The third-year interior lineman should be in line for the biggest workload up front after flashing a superstar ceiling in 2025. In the nine games after the Quinnen Williams trade, Briggs played 65% of the snaps, and with his pass-rushing ability still standing out well above the rest of the room, that number should hold.
T’Vondre Sweat gives the Jets another high-end piece inside. At 25, he’s still on the rise, and his work against the run in 2025 made him one of the league’s best in that area.
He also brings enough pass-rush ability for a 366-pound player that he’s not just a situational plug-in. He logged a 51% snap count for the Titans last season, and something in that neighborhood makes sense again in New York.
David Onyemata and Harrison Phillips both figure to slide into more limited roles. Onyemata, now entering his age-34 season, was still useful against the run in 2025, but his pass-rush production tailed off.
He played 57% of the snaps for the Falcons last year, though a drop to around 40% feels more realistic with Briggs and Sweat leading the way. Phillips, 30, had a similar profile: solid run defense, almost nothing as a pass rusher, with just 1 QB hit in 17 starts.
That kind of production points to a steep dip from his 61% snap count, with about 30% making sense.
Then there’s Darrell Jackson Jr., the fourth-round rookie who may not be limited to the interior. Aaron Glenn said Jackson will also work at 5-technique.
“I actually see him playing, we call it the big end, so he will play a 5-technique, a 4-technique, he’ll be able to do that,” Glenn said of Jackson.
That versatility should help him carve out a role, even with four veterans ahead of him on the depth chart.
The edge group is even more of a projection, since only one of the top four rushers was on the roster last season. The biggest question centers on David Bailey, the rookie the Jets took second overall.
The team clearly believes in him, and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar has already dismissed concerns about Bailey’s run defense. That points to a heavy workload right away, and a 65% snap share seems like the right starting point.
Will McDonald, meanwhile, should still be a major part of the pass rush, but probably not quite as much of an every-down presence. The Jets spent big on two edge defenders who are stronger against the run, Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare, and that should cost McDonald some early-down work. After leading the Jets’ edge rushers with a 66% snap count in 2025, a move down to about 50% feels logical.
Ossai arrived on a three-year, $34.5 million deal with $22.5 million guaranteed, so the Jets clearly plan to lean on him. A 50% snap count, especially with an early-down emphasis, fits that investment. Enagbare should round out the rotation as the fourth edge option, with a 35% workload that also tilts toward early downs.
Jackson’s ability to play some “big end” could also shave a few snaps from the edge rotation.
Projected 2026 Jets DL snap counts: David Bailey 65%, Jowon Briggs 65%, Will McDonald 50%, Joseph Ossai 50%, T’Vondre Sweat 50%, David Onyemata 40%, Kingsley Enagbare 35%, Harrison Phillips 30%, Darrell Jackson Jr. 20%
In Other News...
Jets Fans Have A New Geno Smith Problem Before Camp
Geno Smith is back in the news for reasons the Jets would rather not have attached to their quarterback room heading into camp. A July 6 traffic stop in Florida led to a speeding citation and a separate issue for failing to produce his drivers license, adding another off-field distraction to a summer already heavy with questions around him.
The larger concern is the broader pattern now hanging over Smith, with the NFL and the Jets both acknowledging the situation but declining to say much more. Smith has not been charged with any crime, but the combination of the traffic stop and the ongoing police attention ensures this is not the kind of background noise a team wants following its players into training camp. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Still Have One Defensive Weak Spot They Cannot Ignore
The Jets have spent plenty of time trying to shore up the edges of their defense, but linebacker remains the spot that still looks vulnerable as the roster takes shape. Age and the possibility of regression among the current group have pushed the team toward a familiar offseason exercise, weighing whether a veteran addition could stabilize the room and give the defense a little more insurance.
Among the names that fit that discussion are Jerome Baker, Matt Milano and Elandon Roberts, each offering a different kind of depth and experience. Bobby Okereke is also in the mix as a theoretical target, though the fit is less straightforward if he is not inclined to step into a backup role, and Milanos upside comes with the obvious caveat that health has been a recurring issue. [Read more 🡒]
Demario Davis Just Gave Jets Fans A Familiar Reason To Worry
Demario Davis is back in the building for a third stint with the Jets, and even before he takes a snap, he is already part of the conversation around what this version of the team is supposed to look like. A five-time All-Pro, Davis comes in with the kind of rsum that carries instant respect, and he also arrives off a season in which he piled up a career-high 143 combined tackles, along with three passes defended and two forced fumbles.
For the Jets, the appeal goes beyond what Davis still does on Sundays. He has made it clear that his role is tied to the standard the organization wants to set, the sort of presence that can shape a locker room as much as a defense. That makes his return feel bigger than a reunion, because if he is being asked to help define the culture again, the expectations around what comes next are already pretty high. [Read more 🡒]