While Aaron Glenn has already displayed promising signs of avoiding favoritism toward people he knows, it is always something that will be prevalent in the NFL. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as its usage is limited to players and coaches who are actually worth having around.
On that note, let’s take a look at 10 impending free agents with ties to Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey who could be worth targeting for the New York Jets. The Jets’ tight cap situation will be kept in mind.
This is not to suggest that the Jets will or should sign any of these players; it is simply to highlight a group of players who may have a marginally higher chance of joining the team due to their connections with Glenn and Mougey.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams
Javonte Williams was selected 35th overall by Denver in the second round the 2021 draft. Mougey was Denver’s assistant director of college scouting in 2020, which was Williams’ final college season. The following season, Mougey was promoted to director of player personnel.
Williams had a promising rookie season in which he racked up 1,219 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns. He was off to another solid start in 2022 before a tear to his ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner ended his sophomore campaign after just four games.
Williams has played 33 of Denver’s 34 games since returning from the injury, but his efficiency has dwindled. He’s averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and 5.8 yards per reception since 2023 after producing 4.4 yards per carry and 6.6 yards per reception prior to the injury.
For a Jets team that is on a budget and needs as much playmaking juice as possible, Williams could be worth a flier on a low-risk contract.
Lions CB Carlton Davis
With D.J. Reed seemingly headed for a likely exit in free agency, the Jets will have a starting cornerback spot open if Reed does not return.
The Jets have prepared themselves for this situation by creating a young pipeline at cornerback. Qwan’tez Stiggers and Jarrick Bernard-Converse are waiting in the wings.
However, Glenn and Mougey did not draft those players, so they do not have a sentimental attachment to them. If the Jets’ new leaders come into the building and dislike the film of Stiggers and Bernard-Converse, they will be prioritizing the cornerback position this offseason.
A former second-round pick who spent his first six seasons as a quality starter in Tampa Bay, Davis was a big pickup for Glenn’s Lions in 2024, signing a one-year, $14.5 million deal. Davis provided 13 solid starts for Detroit, recording 11 passes defended, two interceptions, and an allowed passer rating of 87.9. However, a fractured jaw ended his season.
At 28 years old, Davis is entering the danger zone for NFL cornerbacks, which could hurt his price on the open market and make him a viable target for the Jets.
Glenn already has a history of bringing in defenders he is familiar with. In 2023, the Lions signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was drafted by New Orleans while Glenn was the Saints’ defensive backs coach. The Lions also signed linebacker Alex Anzalone in 2021, another Saints draft pick during Glenn’s tenure, who played the previous four seasons alongside Glenn in New Orleans.
Broncos DT D.J. Jones
In Mougey’s first year as the Broncos’ assistant general manager, D.J. Jones was Denver’s biggest outside signing. Early in the 2022 free agent frenzy, the Broncos inked Jones to a three-year, $30 million deal with $20 million fully guaranteed.
Jones played out the entirety of his deal and started 48 games for Denver, racking up 64 run stops. The Jets badly need some added beef on the interior of their defensive line, particularly as it pertains to stopping the run. Jones would be an excellent choice.
Now 30 years old, Jones may be on the downswing of his career, but that could make him a feasible option for New York’s budget.
Bengals S Vonn Bell
As we mentioned earlier, Glenn already has a history of luring over players who were drafted by New Orleans during his Saints tenure. Another one of the key Saints defenders drafted during that time was Vonn Bell.
A second-round pick in 2016, Bell was the first defensive back drafted by New Orleans during Glenn’s five seasons there, and he would play his first four NFL seasons with the Saints. Bell has since been a starter for the Bengals (59 starts) and Panthers (13).
Bell played all 17 games for the Bengals in 2024, starting 11 of them and playing a total of 705 snaps. While Cincinnati’s defense was notoriously atrocious, Bell had a respectable year, allowing a modest stat line of 20 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns (1 interception) on 412 coverage snaps. Over the last three seasons, he has yielded only three touchdowns on 1,552 coverage snaps.
With Chuck Clark entering free agency and Tony Adams (who is a restricted free agent) coming off a shaky season, the Jets will surely be exploring their options at safety. In his first year as a head coach, perhaps Glenn will value familiarity at a position that plays a crucial role in the defensive communication.
Broncos P Riley Dixon
The Jets have Thomas Morstead under contract for the 2025 season on a $3.05 million cap hit. However, that number is a bit high for Morstead’s production at this stage of his career. In 2024, he ranked third-worst in punter EPA per punt.
If you prefer a more traditional metric, he tied for 22nd out of 37 qualifiers in net yards per punt (40.7).
Morstead will be 39 in March, and the Jets will have a new special teams coordinator after parting ways with Brant Boyer. They can cut Morstead to clear $2.55 million in cap space while taking on a dead money hit of just $550K.
Given these factors, it would not be surprising if the Jets elected to find a new punter this offseason. In that case, perhaps Mougey would seek to reunite with Riley Dixon, who ranked 13th-best in punter EPA per punt for Denver this past season. He was also 10th in net yards per punt (42.0).
The Broncos used a seventh round pick on Dixon in 2016, while Mougey was an area scout for the team. Dixon spent his first two seasons in Denver and returned for two more from 2023-24.
Lions EDGE Marcus Davenport
Marcus Davenport is yet another former Saint who joined Glenn in Detroit. A first-round pick of the Saints in 2018, Davenport played five seasons in New Orleans. He signed with the Lions on a one-year, $6.5 million deal in 2024, although his season was limited to two games due to a triceps injury.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound edge rusher is a solid rotational pass rusher when healthy. For his career, 67% of Davenport’s snaps came on passing plays. He has thrived in the role, recording 68 quarterback hits and 24.0 sacks in 69 career games. His career pressure rate of 12.6% is above the positional average.
The Jets need depth on the edge behind Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson. Davenport would likely be an affordable flier due to his injury history (played six games over last two seasons, played 14+ games in one of seven NFL seasons), but the upside is high.
Lions EDGE John Cominsky
A fourth-round pick of the Falcons in 2019, John Cominsky played his first three seasons in Atlanta before the Lions scooped him up ahead of Glenn’s second season with the team.
From 2022-23, Cominsky was a key piece of Detroit’s defensive line, logging 1,120 defensive snaps. He was fairly productive for a complementary player, recording 63 total pressures and 6.0 sacks. In 2024, Cominsky missed the entire season with a torn MCL suffered in July.
At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, Cominsky fits the tweener mold that John Franklin-Myers once filled in New York. The Jets failed to fill JFM’s shoes, and they paid the price, as both the interior pass rush and edge run defense suffered.
Glenn utilized Cominsky in a highly versatile fashion, deploying him all over the defensive line. In 2023, Cominsky played 135 snaps outside of the tackle, 303 snaps over the tackle, 95 snaps in the B-gap, and 31 snaps in the A-gap.
The Jets missed this type of versatility in 2024, and Glenn could bring it back with a familiar face.
Broncos LB Cody Barton
With Mougey in the assistant GM’s chair, Denver signed Barton to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in 2024. He was the leader in defensive snaps (1,053) for a Broncos defense that lit the league on fire.
Barton had a strong all-around season, recording 106 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, five passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery touchdown. His greatest impact came against the run; his 3.3% missed tackle rate as a run defender was the second-lowest among linebackers to play at least 250 snaps against the run. That could call the attention of a Jets team that struggled to stop the run in 2024.
Quincy Williams figures to return, but C.J. Mosley’s future is up in the air, while Jamien Sherwood is an unrestricted free agent. If a hole opens up at linebacker, Barton’s sure tackling in the run game makes him an appealing complement next to the explosive-yet-volatile Williams. Set to turn 29 years old this season, Barton shouldn’t break the bank.
Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike
Levi Onwuzurike was the Lions’ first defensive draft pick in Glenn’s tenure there, being chosen in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Onwuzurike struggled mightily to make an impact in his rookie season before a back injury kept him off the field in 2022. Playing a very small role in 2023, Onwuzurike showed flashes of improvement.
Finally, in 2024, injuries thrust him into a large role, and he enjoyed a breakout season. Onwuzurike finished with 47 total pressures and provided solid run defense to help keep Detroit afloat through an injury-plagued year.
Quinnen Williams is the only sure thing on the Jets’ interior defensive line. The rest of the unit needs substantial attention.
Lions S Ifeatu Melifonwu
Ifeatu Melifonwu was the first defensive back drafted by Detroit in Glenn’s tenure. Considering Glenn is a former cornerback who cut his teeth as a coach by working with defensive backs, it seems likely that Glenn vouched for Melifonwu coming out of college.
Injuries have plagued Melifonwu’s career, limiting him to 37 career games. An ankle injury cost him most of the 2024 season, although he returned for the final three games and the playoffs.
When healthy, though, Melifonwu has shown signs of upside. In 2023, his only 17-game season, Melifonwu earned an 80.9 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus while playing a situational role (398 defensive snaps). On just 19 targets, he racked up two interceptions and three pass breakups, yielding only 11 catches for 114 yards (although he gave up two touchdowns). He also forced a fumble and finished the year with just one penalty.
Melifonwu is also a quality blitzer, which would be valuable if the Jets switch to a blitz-heavy defensive scheme. On just 26 career pass-rush snaps, Melifonwu recorded 4.5 sacks and five additional quarterback knockdowns.
