Guarding for the Future

Edition #1035: With all the talk of quarterbacks, are we missing a big hole that needs to be filled on the offensive line.

Good morning ☕

Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey met with the media yesterday and there were a few takeaways:

• Sounds as though Breece Hall is going nowhere. Mougey said they prefer to get a deal done but the tags are options.

• Talking QBs every day but no decision has been make on Justin Fields.

• Glenn was not happy with the rumours that his hand was forced by Johnson on the coaching staff decisions. Says the owner is supportive and doesn’t interfere in those decisions. “Here’s how he operates: I spoke to him about my vision about the coaching staff… his answer is always: what can I help you to be successful? I’m fortunate to have an owner who operates that way.”

• Glenn confirmed that Darren Mougey and Rick Spielman were a huge part of the coaching search this off-season.

• Mougey confirmed that the talks about trading to the #1 pick is a non-starter, basically that’s not happening.

• It also sounds as though the Jets are going to end up exercising the 5th-year option on Will McDonald - “Feel really good about Will and that being a possibility.”

NFL.com released their draft primer back in January, but it was updated yesterday. There’s no surprise that QB is listed at #1 on their list of needs, followed by defensive line, cornerbacks, wide receivers and finally, offensive line.

It was that last one that’s been drawing my attention recently. We all know the Jets have spent a ton of draft capital recently trying to solidify the trenches, some have worked out…but many haven’t.

There’s an argument to be made that the Jets already have four starters set on the offensive line. Olu Fashanu at left tackle, Armand Membou at right tackle, Joe Tippmann at right guard and Josh Myers at centre. Which leaves the left guard position as the only vacant opening.

Back in December Josh Myers signed a new 2-year deal worth $11 million with $6.2 million of that guaranteed. That salary puts him as a top-20 paid centre in football when it comes to the cap hit he’ll carry in 2026 $4.3 million. While some would suggest that it doesn’t guarantee him a starting spot, and nothing is ever really guaranteed I think the Jets right now envision him sticking at centre.

Last year in the NFL there were 34 centres who played at least 500 snaps. Here’s where Myers ranked in some of the key categories.

Snaps Played: 1,046 (15th)
PFF Grade: 52.9 (33rd)
Run Block Grade: 51.7 (32nd)
Pass Block Grade: 62.9 (19th)
Sacks Allowed: 2 (T-20th)
Pressured Allowed: 28 (29th)
Pass Block Efficiency: 97.5 (25th)
Penalties: 7 (31st)

By most measures, he was one of the worst centres in football last season, consistently ranking towards the bottom in several key categories. But that really shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, he basically matched his career averages across the board, meaning that he played to the same level the Jets knew he played to when they signed him. Whether you trust PFF’s controversial grading system or not, I think it largely matched the eye test. Average pass-blocker and a below average run-blocker.

But let’s for arguments sake say the Jets are happy with Myers at centre, and they want to run it back with Tippmann as a guard. Although I do think it’s worth noting for clarity that Joe Tippmann was graded considerably higher as a centre in 2024 (73.4 overall) than a guard in 2025 (66.0) largely thanks to the run-blocking side of his game, he also allowed more pressures and sacks as a guard. So I’m not sure that Myers is a good enough player to push Tippmann out of his more natural position, but maybe that’s just me.

So what do the Jets do with that final starting spot on the offensive line?

Option 1 - AVT

When AVT is on the field he’s one of the best run-blocking guards out there and more than serviceable as a pass protector. The issue is that he can’t stay healthy. He’s played 43 of a possible 85 games since being drafted in 2021 and just 20 games in the last three years. If you’re signing AVT you better have a good backup option in case of injury, but signing AVT makes a lot of sense. He’s not going to command a big cap figure or a long commitment, if a team is willing to sign him at the top end of the market you wave goodbye. But his market is likely a one-year prove it deal with plenty of incentives, that’s something the Jets should consider.

Option 2 - John Simpson

There’s a world where you run it back by signing both AVT and Simpson and then if they stay healthy you have Tippmann as your centre and Myers as your backup interior lineman. That’s how the Jets went into the 2025 season and I think it was pretty sound. Simpson had a breakout year with the Jets in 2024, a season where he was ranked amongst the best guards in the NFL. In 2025 he reverted back to his career form which is a bang average, penalty prone offensive guard. Simpson is going to test the open market and my instinct says he’ll sign elsewhere, and I don’t have a problem with that. He allowed 5 sacks and was called for 10 penalties in 2025 and amongst guards who played at least 500 snaps, he was rated as the 43rd best pass-blocker and the 45th best run-blocker. I think the Jets can do better, although his best trait is perhaps that he’s always available.

Option 3 - Isaac Seumalo