The New York Jets have had a season to forget in 2025. Injuries, inconsistency, and underperformance have clouded much of the year, leaving fans with more questions than optimism. But even in a season where silver linings have been few and far between, one has emerged - and it’s wearing No. 91 in the trenches.
Jowon Briggs has gone from a roster footnote to a foundational piece on the Jets’ defensive line. And if you’ve been paying attention, this isn’t some fluky late-season surge or garbage-time stat padding.
Briggs has been flat-out disruptive - and not just by Jets standards. He’s playing like one of the most impactful interior defensive linemen in the NFL.
Let’s rewind for a second. Briggs was acquired in a low-profile trade with the Browns before the season kicked off - a swap of Day 3 picks in 2026 that barely registered on the transaction radar.
The Jets sent a sixth-rounder to Cleveland and got back Briggs and a seventh. On the same day, they also brought in veteran Harrison Phillips to shore up a defensive tackle group that had struggled throughout the summer.
At the time, Phillips was the headline move. Briggs?
A developmental flier, a depth piece from a crowded Browns front. But that label didn’t stick for long.
Originally a seventh-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2024, Briggs had shown flashes in limited reps with Cleveland. The Jets saw enough in those glimpses to believe there was more to unlock.
And once he got his shot - especially after the midseason trade of Quinnen Williams - Briggs didn’t just step up. He broke out.
In Week 16, he added another sack, four pressures, and posted an eye-popping 86.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. That wasn’t an outlier performance - it’s been the norm lately.
On the season, Briggs ranks top-20 among all interior defensive linemen in total pressures, second in pressure rate, and top-10 in PFF’s Pass Rush Productivity metric. Since Week 10, only Chris Jones has graded higher as a pass rusher among interior linemen.
That’s not just good company - that’s elite territory.
What makes this even more impressive is how unexpected it’s been. When Briggs arrived, he was seen as more of a run-stopper with raw pass-rush tools.
Instead, he’s developed into one of the most efficient interior disruptors in the league. And he’s doing it while still holding his ground against the run, forming a surprisingly effective tandem with Phillips in the middle.
At 24 years old, Briggs is under team control through 2027 thanks to his exclusive-rights free agent status. That’s two more years of high-level production on a bargain contract - the kind of value that front offices dream about.
In a season where the Jets have struggled to find consistency or momentum, Briggs has been a rare bright spot. He’s not just flashing potential - he’s producing at a level that demands attention. And while it’s always smart to be cautious with breakout players on struggling teams, there’s nothing fluky about what Briggs is doing.
This isn’t just a feel-good story on a bad team. Jowon Briggs is one of the best players on the Jets’ roster right now - and he’s making a strong case to be a cornerstone for the future.