The wave of 2026 NFL free agency is officially over, and now teams are sifting through remaining players to see if they can find help at a discount.
The New York Jets have more than $75 million in cap space and worked last season to repair a defense that couldn't sack the quarterback and failed to intercept passes. They also added depth on the offensive line and brought an old friend back to Florham Park as the team's starting quarterback.
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How much better are the Jets today than they were at the beginning of last season? Where do they need to become stronger?
As April's NFL Draft approaches, here's the updated New York Jets defensive depth chart
defensive line
Tevonde Sweet, Harrison Phillips, Jovan Briggs, Joseph Osei, Kingsley Enagbal, Will Macdonald, David Onyemata
judgment: Almost there
The Jets' main strategy in free agency is to fix a defense that was abysmal from last season. It all started with the acquisition of “Sweat,” a huge nose tackle from the Titans for fan favorite Jermaine Johnson. They provide pass-rushing help to Osei's McDonald, who had five sacks last season for the Cincinnati Bengals. Nnagbal and Onyemata can get after the quarterback, but they are much better against the run, an area where the defense struggled after the Quinnen Williams trade.
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The Jets will select a pass rusher with the second pick in the draft, between Ohio State's Avir Reese and Texas Tech's David Bailey. They could also add depth along the defensive line, but this team is much stronger than it was last season, so there's no need to worry.
defender
Jamion Sherwood, Demario Davis, Kiko Alonso, Marcelino McClary-Ball
judgment: need help
The Jets added a much-needed leader in free agency, bringing Davis back for his third stint with the team. Despite being 37 years old, he is still a very good player and could be a strong mentor for Sherwood, who struggled in the first year of his new contract.
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Alonso showed some flashes as a rookie but was beaten at times and ended the season on injured reserve. McCrary Ball is more of a special teams player, and he picked up a personal foul last year. The chances of the Jets targeting Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the second overall pick are slim, as he'll likely be unavailable when they select again at No. 16. There aren't many free agents left on the market who can make this team better, so they will look to the draft to improve the position.
middle school
Brandon Stephens, Azare Thomas, Nashon Wright, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Quantez Stiggs, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dane Belton, Malachi Moore, Andre Sisco
judgment: Much improved
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The Jets' secondary was terrible last season and they made some significant upgrades after failing to consistently force turnovers, let alone intercept passes. Fitzpatrick was a great acquisition for the Dolphins and he immediately improved the safety position. Belton is a great tackler who was a bit underrated in the Giants' secondary last year. He could challenge Moore for the starting job next to Fitzpatrick. Wright, who led the league with five interceptions last year, should line up against Stephens, who got off to a miserable start last year but improved as the season progressed. Brownlee excelled at corner but is out for the season due to injury. Thomas will be returning from injury for his second season and will need a strong training camp to solidify his starting role.
The safety class in the draft is very strong and I expect the Jets to add another cornerback to the room. However, they have the perfect combination of young players and experienced leader in Fitzpatrick.
special teams
Cade York (K), Austin McNamara (P), Thomas Hennessey (LS), Isaiah Williams (KR), Kene Nwangwu (KR),
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judgment: Set up…now!
Chris Banjo was outstanding on this team last season and all but one key player is back. Nick Folk had a great season last season, missing only one field goal and scoring all of his extra points. It's very surprising that when Falk decided to sign a two-year deal with the Falcons, the Jets didn't try harder to bring him back.
Cade York has some huge shoes to fill in for Folk. He hasn't played a full season since 2022, and even then, his numbers haven't been great. However, after the job Banjo did last season, he's questionable. The Jets have two dangerous returners in Williams and Nwangwu and will always be a team that can change the outcome of special teams games. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't matter that there were no automatic kicks in Folk back
This article originally appeared in The Aberdeen News: Updated 2026 New York Jets Depth Chart: Defense/Special Teams
