• PFF's top-ranked defensive line, linebacker and secondary units reside in New York: Click here to view all of PFF's offseason unit rankings.
• Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed lead a fearsome secondary: Gardner has earned PFF coverage grades of 90.0 or better in his first two NFL seasons, and Reed has earned PFF coverage grades above 70.0 in four straight seasons.
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Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
When the New York Jets acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers via a trade with the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2023 NFL season, it was in the hope of unlocking a multi-year Super Bowl window.
But a torn Achilles just four snaps into Rodgers' Jets tenure interrupted those best-laid plans, and the 41-year-old isn't getting any younger. What once seemed to be a wide-open window is now only ajar.
The Jets still come into 2024 with a loaded roster on paper, boasting PFF's top-ranked units at all three levels on defense, giving them a real chance to make a playoff run.
Here, we’ll take a look at what makes New York's defense so special heading into the new season.
DEFENSIVE LINE: 1ST
Quinnen Williams headlines this group, coming off a season in which he earned a 90.6 PFF grade that ranked third at the position — behind only Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants and the now-retired Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams. Williams has been a force both as a run defender and as a pass-rusher, earning a PFF pass-rush grade above 84.0 in each of the past two seasons and racking up 122 quarterback pressures on 885 pass-rushing snaps in the process.
The Jets' trade for Haason Reddick with the Philadelphia Eagles will give them a boost off the edge, as the 2017 first-round draft pick tallied 155 quarterback pressures, including 60 sacks and quarterback hits, from 1,099 pass-rushing snaps over the past two seasons.
Jermaine Johnson improved his PFF pass-rush grade from 64.6 as a rookie to 73.7 last season, and Will McDonald IV generated 12 pressures from 99 pass-rushing snaps in his debut 2023 season. The Jets will have high hopes for continued progress from those two former first-round picks in 2024.
LINEBACKERS: 1ST
At 32 years old, C.J. Mosley is coming off the highest-graded season of his NFL career (82.9) and recorded 60 tackles resulting in a defensive stop. Next to him, 27-year-old Quincy Williams also earned a career-high PFF grade and is only getting better with each passing season.
Both players excelled in coverage in 2023, with Mosley’s 90.6 PFF coverage grade and Williams’ 88.7 mark placing them first and second, respectively, among linebackers.
Read more: Top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2024 NFL season
SECONDARY: 1ST
The Jets' secondary stands out above the rest.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate coming into the season, having earned PFF coverage grades of 90.0 or better in his first two NFL seasons. He has allowed just two touchdowns in coverage while coming away with a combined 26 pass breakups and interceptions since the Jets made him the No. 4 overall pick in 2022.
It’s not just about Gardner, though. D.J. Reed opposite him has earned PFF coverage grades above 70.0 in four straight seasons, and Michael Carter II has done the same in each of the past two seasons in the slot.
New York isn't quite as strong at safety, but Chuck Clark being healthy again after his trade from the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the 2023 season will raise the unit's floor, having earned PFF grades above 65.0 in four straight seasons before missing last year. Next to him, 2022 undrafted free agent Tony Adams earned a 65.0 PFF coverage grade last year.
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