The Jets’ linebacker room looks sturdier than it did a year ago after the addition of Demario Davis, but there’s still a reason some fans are scanning the free-agent market. Davis’ age and Jamien Sherwood’s regression in 2025 have created a little unease, and the current depth behind them is thin.
Right now, 2025 fifth-round pick Kiko Mauigoa and practice squad addition Mykal Walker are the backups. That’s why Bobby Okereke has come up as a name to watch, especially with his consistency, experience, and his connection to offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
He’d be a major pickup. The problem is that he may not be the most realistic one if the Jets want someone willing to step into a backup role.
There are a few other linebackers who could make more sense if the Jets are simply looking for dependable depth and a little breathing room behind the starters.
Jerome Baker fits that idea. It feels like he’s already accepted that his starting days are behind him, and his recent path backs that up.
The former Dolphins second-round pick and Ohio State standout has spent the last few years moving from the Seahawks to the Titans to the Browns, where he started a handful of games last season. If the Jets want someone with more upside than Mauigoa or Walker, Baker brings that veteran floor.
Matt Milano is the big swing of the group. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the league’s best coverage linebackers and a player who anchored some very strong Buffalo defenses.
The catch is obvious: healthy Milano has not shown up often enough. There’s no guarantee he gets a clean bill of health, and he may prefer to chase a team with a real shot at a championship.
Even so, his peak is higher than what Sherwood showed under Robert Saleh.
Then there’s Elandon Roberts, who may be the cleanest fit for what this coaching staff values. He’s not going to help much in coverage at this point, and there’s a real argument for simply staying with Mauigoa and letting the development play out.
Still, Roberts has the kind of experience that can tilt a decision. He’s started for the Patriots, Steelers, and Raiders over the last five years, and his run-defense work has graded out in the top half of linebackers by PFF.
That matters here, because run defense is clearly a priority for this staff.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]