When will the New York Jets begin exploring a Quinnen Williams extension?
One of the bigger lingering questions surrounding the New York Jets is the long-term status of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
The Jets selected Williams with the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Williams was drafted that high to eventually be an elite defensive tackle who is constantly disruptive against both the run and the pass. Throughout his three years with the Jets, Williams has been a good player. Moving forward though, there is significant room for growth.
To get an idea of when a second contract could come to fruition for Williams and how large it would be, look no further than his own draft class. It was one that featured a whopping 13 first-round defensive linemen (seven edges, six defensive tackles). Out of those 13 players, 10 had their fifth-year options picked up by their teams this offseason (five edges, five defensive tackles).
How Quinnen Williams stacks amongst the 2019 draft class
The five edge defenders who had their options picked up were Nick Bosa (San Francisco), Josh Allen (Jacksonville), Rashan Gary (Green Bay), Brian Burns (Carolina), and Montez Sweat (Washington).
At Williams’ position, the other four players to have their fifth years added on were Ed Oliver (Buffalo), Christian Wilkins (Miami), Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants), and Jeffery Simmons (Tennessee).
None of these 10 players have signed a second contract yet.
To this point, it is safe to say that Bosa and Simmons have comfortably cemented themselves as the top two players of the bunch. From there, one could make the argument that the remaining four edge defenders in Gary, Burns, Allen, and Sweat have all been better than the rest of the defensive tackles.
Amongst those four remaining defensive tackles, Williams may potentially be the best to this point. He also has the talent to become the best player in the class over time. The hope should be for him to reach Simmons’ level.
The only defensive lineman from the 2019 class to get extended thus far is edge defender Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas), a fourth-round pick. With Crosby being a day-three pick and the Raiders not having a fifth-year option at their disposal, it makes sense as to why he was the first one to sign.
Likely timetable for a Quinnen Williams contract extension
Until deals are reached with Bosa and Simmons, it is unlikely we will see one between the Jets and Williams. Once parameters are set by the best two players of the class, Williams’ agent and the organization can start to get an idea of what a reasonable deal would look like.
This is likely the best route for both the Jets and Williams to take. In year four, it should be time for a big breakout from Williams. His overall impact needs to be felt more each game and it should show up on the stat sheet.
With his second contract looming within the next two years, Williams needs to produce better than ever. The Jets would like to see him turn his great potential into more proven production.
Ultimately, discussions on a contract extension between Williams and the Jets should come after the 2022 season.
