Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Jets are entering a new era of football in 2025. They hired Aaron Glenn to be the new head coach of the team. He is defensive minded, and the Jets are hoping his leadership in Detroit will transfer into a larger role in New York. Glenn then hired Tanner Engstrand to be the offensive coordinator, and Steve Wilks to fill the role of defensive coordinator. With these three new main coaches, New York is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
OC Engstrand believes in Justin Fields at quarterback, and the offense is still dangerous with Garrett Wilson catching passes. Breece Hall and Braelon Allen both return to the backfield, as well. Additionally, there should be two rookies starting on offense with first round pick OT Armand Membou, and second rounder Mason Taylor at tight end.
On the defensive side of the ball, New York still has Sauce Gardner at cornerback. With him, the Jets are going to rely on Jamien Sherwood to be a powerful presence at linebacker, while Quinnen Williams stuffs the middle in the trenches. Besides them, New York could use a little bit more talent on defense, especially in the pass rush.
The Jets have not had a winning season since 2015. The team is hoping that changes this year, but there are some moves to be made still.
What are the Jets' positional needs?
As mentioned, the team could use another pass rusher.
Per PFF, New York is shaping up to have Will McDonald IV and Jermaine Johnson start at the edge position. However, if a guess had to be made, Michael Clemons would be the starter over Johnson to begin the year. At defensive tackle, the Jets should start Williams and Byron Cowart (if we are going by most snaps).
In 2024, the Jets were able to get 10.5 sacks out of McDonald, and 4.5 out of Clemons. Williams did a great job dominating the middle of the line as he finished second on the team with six sacks. With Javon Kinlaw and Solomon Thomas gone, New York is losing eight sacks from their season total one year ago. The Jets have to find someone to fill that void.
Now New York attempted to make some additions to their defensive line, but none of them are the type of players to really stuff the middle. They signed Cowart, Jay Tufele, Derrick Nnadi, and Rashad Weaver. However, those four players combined for just three sacks last season.
Article Continues Below
On the edge, New York seems okay, but they need someone to match McDonald's sack total, or at least get close to it. Along with that, losing eight sacks on the interior hurts the team, and the pass coverage can only do so much if the line is not getting to the quarterback.
Jadeveon Clowney would fit well in New York
This could be a bit of stretch for the Jets. It would make it even worse if New York had to overpay just because of the name. However, Jadeveon Clowney is an 11-year veteran in the NFL, and he has made an impact for a few different teams. He might not be a full-time starter anymore, but the Jets could use the veteran leadership for the defensive line.
Last season, Clowney played and started 14 games for the Carolina Panthers. He finished with 46 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss, and 5.5 sacks. Just one year prior to that, the three-time Pro Bowl nominee had 9.5 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens. In 2021, Clowney had 9.0 sacks for the Cleveland Browns. He clearly still has what it takes to rush the pocket in the NFL.
The Jets need someone to match McDonald on the other side. They are hoping Jermaine Johnson can be that guy as he returns from injury, but Clowney might be the better choice after the Panthers released him just after the NFL draft. The South Carolina product still has the talent to replace the eight sacks the Jets are losing.
With a defensive-minded head coach, and a solid defensive coordinator, there is no doubt Clowney would be put in a position to succeed in New York. The Jets would just have to make sure they get a good price for him. Per Spotrac, Clowney's projected AAV is just over $11 million. That might be too high of a number for teams to want to take a chance on him.
No matter the case, the Jets would be smart to grab another defensive lineman with a history of getting to the quarterback. Clowney could be that guy, and he still available as training camp nears.
