Roster Breakdown: Pass Rushers

Edition #1212: Today we're turning out attention to the DE's/OLB's who will be key to the Jets success this season.

Good Morning ☕

ESPN made headlines yesterday with a fresh wave of layoffs which included former Jets linebacker Bart Scott.

This is becoming a yearly tradition for ESPN, who have reportedly just agreed to pay Pat McAfee over $40M a year which is absolutely absurd.

I don’t really go to ESPN for my sports news anymore, and I only last a couple of minutes when watching Pat McAfee who I find pretty intolerable. But the way people consume content has been changing for a long time and unfortunately I think more and more people in the MSM will find themselves out of work.

Bart Scott obviously has other commitments with SNY but as I said online yesterday, get that man a whistle and a coaching badge. I have a ton of respect for Scott the player and he talks a lot of sense on the post-game SNY show, I think he has some real insight that he could impart on these linebackers in NY.

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NEWS & NOTES 🗞️

• The Jets released their helmet for the home opener against the Packers where they’re encouraging all fans to attend wearing white. I have to say I have a lot of time for it. It’s clean, sharp and simple. It looks like the uniform of a high-octane offense…let’s hope that’s the case.

• Good news for former Jets safety Jordan Whitehead, who has been fully cleared to resume his football career following a car-crash in Tampa in January 2025 that left him with serious injuries that required neck surgery.

• Zack Rosenblatt believes that Geno Smith has the most on the line entering 2026 considering how well the Jets are positioned to take a run at the top QB in 2027 and how Smith played last season in Las Vegas:

  • “It feels fitting that possibly Smith’s last chance at establishing himself as a worthy starting quarterback is coming back with the team that drafted him. The Jets have their eye on the 2027 draft. Smith is only under contract for one year and at minimal cost (to the Jets, at least). If Smith can play the way he did at his best in Seattle, he can extend his career as a starter for another couple of seasons — maybe even as a bridge for the Jets in 2027. If he plays as he did in Las Vegas last year, this might be his last shot as a starting quarterback in the NFL,”

• In an article on the official website that will also appear in the official yearbook this year, Aaron Glenn continues to beat the drum for AD:

  • "You hear Garrett all the time, and you should, because he is a true No. 1 receiver, but man, I look forward to seeing what AD is going to do," HC Aaron Glenn said about Mitchell, adding: "I like the way our receiver room is. Obviously, you're always going to try to get players that are going to help your team."

• Ben Solak has the Jets CB2 position opposite Brandon Stephens as one of his most interesting positional battles heading into camp. It’s his opinion that Thomas will have the head start in the battle but both Wright and Ponds will be competing for outside snaps this summer.

• PFF ranked the top 32 receivers in football recently and Garrett Wilson came in at #18 on the list “Wilson endured an injury-plagued 2025 season that limited him to seven games and 395 receiving yards. Still, he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons despite the Jets’ poor quarterback play. If Geno Smith provides steadier play at quarterback in 2026, Wilson is a strong bounce-back candidate.”

• They also listed Minkah Fitzpatrick as one of the most underappreciated acquisitions this summer stating: “After a down 2024 season in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick regained his foothold in 2025 back in Miami. His 81.9 overall PFF grade was the fifth-best among qualifiers, and Fitzpatrick was one of five safeties with a 77.0-plus coverage and run-defense grade. A more versatile and well-distributed role for the three-time All-Pro proved fruitful, as his coverage grade in the slot increased from the 55th to the 74th percentile.”

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Pass Rushers 🟢⚪🗽

In hindsight I probably should have put all the defensive lineman/outside linebackers in the same piece.

A lot of the defensive tackles will shift to defensive end in the 3-4, so instead of calling this piece, defensive ends…I’ve called it pass rushers.

If you didn’t catch the defensive tackles piece you can head here to read it now, and that may add a little further context.

Roster Breakdown: Defensive Tackles

Pass-rush can come from anywhere. If the Jets are going to succeed in 2026 they’ll need some pass rush contribution from their defensive tackles, their linebackers, their safeties and their corners. But the majority of the pass-rush load will fall on the shoulders of two plays. Will McDonald and David Bailey.

Again that’s not exclusive. The Jets will want to see what 5th round pick Tyler Baron can do in year two, Kingsley Enagbare has been brought in on a one year $10 million deal and he’s had 103 pressures over the last four years. Joseph Ossai is coming off a 43 pressure season where he recorded 2 sacks (officially), but was in on a lot more (PFF have him with 5).

Then you have all the guys fighting to make the roster and an impression. Eric Watts has stuck around for a couple of years now after being undrafted in 2024. Former Rugby Union player Paschal Ekeji arrived through the international pathway and will be hoping to stick. Kingsley Jonathan is in his second stint with the Jets and you feel as though it’s now or never for Braiden McGregor. Then you have the real dark horse in former Ball State man Nathan Voorhis who’s coming off a 12-sack season in the MAC and will benefit from the Jets playing more 3-4 due to his size limitations as a traditional DE.

All of those guys could play a big part this year, especially Ossai and Enagbare.

But the Jets will only go as far as their two former first round picks will take em.

Will McDonald is entering year four in the league and coming off a decent season where he recorded 42 pressures and 8 sacks. Although that was a decrease on 2024 where he recorded 61 pressures and 10.5 sacks.