The Jets finished the 2023 season with one of the best all-around pass-rushing units in the league.
New York tied for the seventh-most sacks in the NFL with 48, ranked fourth in pressure rate at 26.5% and had a quarterback knockdown rate of almost 10% of dropbacks. Five different players tallied more than five sacks this past season and two had at least 20 quarterback hits.
However, New York's unit appears to be more about the sum of its parts than an individual contributor — especially this upcoming season.
Only one Jets edge rusher cracked Pro Football Focus' top-32 list heading into the 2024 season — and that player wasn't even on the roster this past season. The Jets' sack leader in 2023, Bryce Huff, also made the cut but is no longer on the team after he signed a lucrative contract with the Eagles in free agency.
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Jets pass rush doesn't get much love from PFF
The lone Jets edge rusher to make the top-32 list was Haason Reddick, who New York acquired in a trade from the Eagles after Huff signed with Philadelphia. Reddick, 29, came in at No. 18 on PFF's list, four spots after Huff.
Here's what PFF's Trevor Sikkema had to say about Reddick:
"Reddick is third on the NFL sack list over the past two seasons (27.5)," he wrote. "The pass-rush specialist moved from Philadelphia to New York this offseason, and we'll see if he can keep up his effective pass-rush ways."
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Reddick is the best edge rusher on the Jets, but he isn't the only option for New York. Third-year pass rusher Jermaine Johnson broke out in 2023 with a career-best 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. At 24, Johnson could find himself on a similar list in 2025 if he continues to shine this year.
Will McDonald IV, the Jets' first-round pick in 2023, also has a great opportunity to develop into an ascending player with Huff gone. He didn't see much action in his rookie year but now gets to learn behind Reddick and should be able to build off his three-sack rookie campaign.
Quinnen Williams ranks highly among DLs
Defensive lineman Quinnen Williams is a known sack artist with 33 career takedowns since 2019. However, he plays all over the line and isn't a true edge rusher. That's why he didn't make the cut for the pass rusher list.
Williams did, however, rank third on PFF's interior defensive lineman list. The only players ahead of Williams are Chris Jones of the Chiefs and Dexter Lawrence of the Giants.
"One of the most disruptive defensive tackles in football, Williams has been a game-wrecker since breaking out in 2022," PFF's Sam Monson wrote. "Over the past two seasons, only Lawrence and Jones have more total pressures than his 122, and he has 74 defensive stops over that time, as well.
"Williams has put together back-to-back seasons with a 90.0-plus PFF grade."
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No other Jets players made either list. But, as mentioned earlier, this is a defensive line that's more about overall disruption than individual stars. It's why head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas were confident in letting Huff go and acquiring Reddick as his replacement. The depth of the line is sound as well with Johnson, McDonald and even Michael Clemons.
While it's no guarantee the Jets' defense will continue to be good in 2024, there is enough talent across the defensive line for this to remain one of the better overall units in the league.
