The Jets are betting big on Joseph Ossai, and that alone tells you how much they think the new edge rusher can matter in 2026.
At No. 21 in our ranking of the 25 most important Jets, Ossai arrives with real expectations after signing a three-year, $34.5 million deal in March. That number raised eyebrows, especially when compared with the one-year, $9 million contract the Jets handed Kingsley Enagbare.
New York clearly sees more than just a rotational piece here. They’re paying for upside, run defense, and a pass rusher who can help reshape a unit that badly needs it.
The need is obvious. The Jets managed only 26 sacks last season, second-fewest in the league, and that kind of pressure simply doesn’t cut it in the NFL.
Ossai won’t be asked to carry the entire pass rush - that job still belongs to Will McDonald IV, who posted 8.5 sacks last year and 10 in 2024 - but he should be a clear upgrade over the rest of the group. Alongside McDonald and David Bailey, he gives the Jets another legitimate threat up front.
What makes Ossai appealing is the package. Over his last two seasons with the Bengals, he produced 27 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.
He can rush with his hand in the dirt or stand up on the edge, and that versatility fits what Aaron Glenn wants from a multiple-defensive scheme. The Jets should be able to move him around, use him in different looks, and keep him on the field with a variety of personnel groupings.
He’s also coming off the most active stretch of his career. Ossai started a career-high nine games for Cincinnati last season, appeared in 14, and played 67% of the defensive snaps. At Texas, he worked as an outside linebacker, and that background shows in how comfortably he can line up in different spots along the front.
The motor and run support are part of the appeal, too. Ossai’s arm length - 33 7’8” - helps him work into the pocket even without overwhelming power. He may not collapse the pocket with brute force, but he can still force quarterbacks off their spot and create chances for teammates to finish the play.
That run defense is especially important for the Jets. Ossai posted a 70.7 run grade from Pro Football Focus last season, which ranked 25th among 115 qualified edge rushers. That’s the kind of number New York wants, and it stands in sharp contrast to the 58.2 posted by Jermaine Johnson II, who was sent to the Titans in the T’Vondre Sweat trade.
Still, there are clear concerns. Ossai has to clean up his tackling, because the missed tackles have piled up.
He has 19 missed tackles in his six-year career, with 10 coming last season alone. If Glenn and defensive coordinator Brian Duker are going to get the most out of him, they’ll want that number cut down to five or fewer.
Health is another part of the equation. Ossai missed his rookie year in 2021 because of a torn meniscus and has missed seven games over the last four seasons.
He’s played a full 17-game season only once, in 2024. Last year, he missed three games with an ankle injury.
Because of that, the Jets have to plan for depth behind him. Enagbare is the most obvious fallback option, and he has plenty to prove on a one-year deal.
He has also shown he can handle a bigger role, especially as a run defender. Depending on the situation, David Onyemata and Jowon Briggs could also see more snaps at defensive end in Glenn’s multiple-front defense.
In a perfect world, though, the Jets get Ossai for all 17 games. If that happens, he could be a big part of what they hope is a dramatic defensive turnaround in 2026.
There’s some risk here. Ossai doesn’t have the same résumé as Bradley Chubb, who got a three-year, $43.5 million deal, or Dre’Mont Jones, who signed for three years and $36.5 million, but the Jets are clearly banking on a step forward. If he tops out as a sturdy run defender with around five sacks a year, that won’t be enough for a player on this contract.
But that’s also why he sits at No. 21 instead of much higher. There’s still room for Ossai to rise, and in New York, that possibility may be exactly what the Jets are paying for.
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