The New York Jets have been on the prowl for an edge rusher ever since Bryce Huff departed as a free agent for the Philadelphia Eagles. On Friday, the Jets landed their man, the same one recently displaced by Huff in Philadelphia.
The Jets acquired Haason Reddick from the Eagles for a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, that could become a second-round selection if he plays 67.5 percent of the defensive snaps this season and has 10 sacks, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
This is a major addition for the Jets after losing Huff, who had an NFL career-high 10 sacks last season. New York had flirted with free agent Jadeveon Clowney up until he signed with the Carolina Panthers earlier in the week. But now they settled on Reddick, the 29-year-old who’s in the final season of his contract and can become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.
Grading the Jets trade for Haason Reddick
In its simplest terms, this is a massive acquisition for the Jets. Reddick had 11 sacks last season and 67 QB pressures. He’s had double-digit sack totals each of the past four seasons, including an NFL career-high 16 when he helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
Only Myles Garret (30) and Nick Bosa (29) have more sacks the past two seasons than Reddick (27.5).
Though four years older than Huff, Reddick is an upgrade, still in his prime. He played 74 percent of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps the past two seasons because he isn’t the liability against the run that Huff is believed to be.
Huff played almost exclusively on passing downs and just 42 percent of New York’s defensive snaps in 2023.
Coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich employ a heavy rotation on their defensive line, so Reddick likely will play fewer snaps. But that should make him fresher late in games and late in the season.
That’s a scary thought because Reddick is already a big-play machine. In 2022, the two-time Pro-Bowler, forced a League-high five fumbles and had three fumble recoveries. He forced six fumbles in 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals.
And he consistently gets to the quarterback. Reddick has 58 sacks in 114 NFL games and 3.5 in four postseason games. Speaking of consistency, Reddick has missed one game in seven NFL seasons.
The 6-foot-1, 240 pound athletic freak played with some studs in Philadelphia. But he should thrive on the elite Jets defense, which features defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, Pro-Bowl edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, versatile lineman John Franklin-Myers, linebackers C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams and stud corners Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed.
After a string of solid additions on offense with wide receiver Mike Williams and tackle Tyron Smith leading the way this offseason, Saleh must be salivating over adding Reddick to his talented defense.
In the final season of his contract, Reddick should have extra motivation. Plus, he’s from New Jersey, though Camden is closer to Philadelphia than Florham Park, where the Jets train.
Another nice part of this trade is that the compensation is not crazy high for a player of Reddick’s pedigree. The fact that the pick is three drafts down the road is key, too.
Trade Grade: A
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