Updated 2026 New York Jets depth chart: Defense/special teams
· Yahoo Sports
The tidal wave that is the start of 2026 NFL Free Agency is officially over and now teams are sifting through what’s left to see if they can find help at discounted prices.
The New York Jets, armed with over $75 million in cap space, went to work to fix a defense that couldn’t sack the quarterback and failed to intercept a pass last season. They also shored up the depth on their offensive line and brought an old friend back to Florham Park to be the team's starting quarterback.
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How much better are the Jets today than they were at the start of last season? Where do they need to get stronger?
Here is the updated New York Jets depth chart on defense as we get closer and closer to the NFL Draft in April
Defensive Line
T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs, Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare, Will McDonald, David Onyemata
The Verdict: Almost There
The Jets primary strategy in free agency was to fix a defense that was terrible last season. It started with the acquisition of Sweat, a massive nose tackle, from the Titans for fan favorite Jermaine Johnson. They added pass rushing help for McDonald in Ossai, who had five sacks last season for the Cincinnati Bengals. Enagbare and Onyemata can get after the quarterback, but they are much better against the run, an area where the defense struggled after the trade of Quinnen Williams.
The Jets will select a pass rusher with the second overall pick in the draft and it’s between Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey. They could also add a little more depth to the defensive line but this unit is much stronger than last season and not a cause for concern.
Linebackers
Jamien Sherwood, Demario Davis, Kiko Alonso, Marcellino McCrary-Ball
The Verdict: Needs help
The Jets added a much needed leader in free agency bringing back Davis for his third stint with the team. He’s still a very good player despite being 37 years old and could serve as a strong mentor to Sherwood, who struggled badly in the first year of a new contract.
Alonso showed some flashes as a rookie, but was overmatched at times and finished the season on injured reserve. McCrary-Ball is more of a special teams player and was a walking personal foul penalty last year. There’s a slim chance the Jets could target Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the second overall pick as he’ll most likely not be available when they select again at 16. There’s not much left in free agency to make this unit better, so, they’ll look to the draft to improve this position.
Secondary
Brandon Stephens, Azarey’eh Thomas, Nahshon Wright, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Quantez Stiggers, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dane Belton, Malachi Moore, Andre Cisco
The Verdict: Much Improved
The Jets secondary was awful last season and they made some major upgrades after failing to consistently force turnovers, let alone intercept a pass. Fitzpatrick was the big acquisition from the Dolphins and he immediately improves the safety position. Belton is an excellent tackler and was a bit underrated in the Giants secondary last year. He could challenge Moore for the starting spot next to Fitzpatrick. Wright led the league last year with five interceptions and should start opposite Stephens, who got off to a brutal start last year but improved as the season progressed. Brownlee performed well as the slot corner but was lost for the season with an injury. Thomas will be returning from injury for his second season and will need a strong training camp to solidify a starting job.
The safety class in the draft is very strong and I would expect the Jets to add another cornerback to the room. But, they have a nice mix of young players and a veteran leader in Fitzpatrick.
Special Teams
Cade York (K), Austin McNamara (P), Thomas Hennessey (LS), Isaiah Williams (KR), Kene Nwangwu (KR),
The Verdict: Set….For now!
Chris Banjo did an incredible job with this unit last season and everyone is back except for a key player. Nick Folk was outstanding last season only missing one field goal and making all of his extra points. It was very surprising the Jets did not try harder to bring Folk back as he decided to sign with the Falcons on a two-year deal.
Cade York has some massive shoes to fill in replacing Folk. He hasn't kicked in a full season since 2022 and even then, his numbers weren't great. However, after the job Banjo did last season, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. The Jets have two dangerous kick returners in Williams and Nwangwu and will always be a team that can change the outcome of the game on special teams. But, I’d be lying if I said not having an automatic kicker in Folk back isn't concerning
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Updated 2026 New York Jets depth chart: Defense/special teams