Scheme fit is paramount when evaluating any potential addition to an NFL team, especially when your team is installing new schemes on both sides of the football.
With a completely revamped coaching staff, the New York Jets are shaping entirely new identities on offense and defense in the 2025 season. First-time offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand will spearhead the offensive overhaul. Veteran defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will take charge on defense; head coach Aaron Glenn has stated he would like to focus on coaching the entire team. Still, Glenn will likely play a major role in crafting the team’s defensive scheme and philosophies.
Yesterday, we analyzed how some of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL draft class performed in various areas that project to be important pieces of Engstrand’s offense. While Engstrand’s plan for the offense will draw the most attention going forward, Wilks’ defensive overhaul is also a paramount cog in the Jets’ offseason. In many ways, Wilks’ defensive philosophies vastly differ from his predecessors, Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich.
The Jets must focus on adding players who can help establish the collaborative vision of Wilks and Glenn. That will begin in free agency, but it must extend to the draft as well.
Without further ado, here are two highly touted draft prospects who project to be excellent fits in the Jets’ defense under Wilks and Glenn.
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
The current consensus favorite to be selected with New York’s seventh overall pick (and perhaps the closest match to Darren Mougey’s philosophy), Will Johnson is one of the top prospects for Jets fans to watch as the NFL draft draws closer.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, Johnson boasts outstanding size for the cornerback position. Alongside Sauce Gardner, he would form one of the lengthiest duos of outside cornerbacks in the NFL.
To boot, Johnson enjoyed a career of dominant production at Michigan. Across three seasons, Johnson allowed two touchdowns, nine interceptions, a 54% completion rate, and a 49.8 passer rating on throws into his coverage. He committed only seven penalties.
So, we know Johnson boasts the frame and the numbers to be a tantalizing top-10 pick. But where does the scheme fit come in?
Wilks is known as a zone-heavy coach. Across his last four stops as a defensive coordinator or head coach, his teams ran zone coverage 74% of the time, ranking no lower than 11th in zone coverage rate in any given season.
This makes Johnson a perfect match, as he plays his best football in zone coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, when playing zone coverage over the last two seasons (2023-24), Johnson allowed zero touchdowns, four interceptions, a passer rating of 40.7, and 0.76 yards per cover snap.
With excellent play recognition and closing speed, Johnson excels when he gets to sit back, read the quarterback, and react to what’s happening in front of him – perfect for a zone-heavy scheme.
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
The consensus No. 1 safety in the 2025 draft class, Malaki Starks is another potential top-10 pick who combines his talent with a seamless fit in the Jets’ defense.
While Wilks will be calling plays for the Jets’ defense, Aaron Glenn’s input in the scheme and vision will undoubtedly be present. In this case, Starks fits a mold that was vital in Glenn’s Detroit Lions defense.
In Detroit, Glenn turned 2023 second-round pick Brian Branch into one of the NFL’s most versatile weapons at the safety position. This past season, Branch joined Kyle Hamilton as the only two NFL safeties who played 300+ snaps as a deep safety, 250+ snaps in the slot, 200+ snaps at linebacker, and 50+ snaps on the edge. Branch was an important chess piece who helped the Lions counter offenses in unique ways.
Notice what Glenn does here on the Minnesota Vikings’ first play of the game. Minnesota comes out in 12 personnel (1 RB/2 TE/2 WR), which suggests a higher chance of a run play. Instead of countering with base personnel (7 front-seven players, 4 defensive backs), Glenn comes out in “big nickel” – five defensive backs with the fifth being a safety instead of a cornerback. Glenn pulls this off by sliding Branch down to the outside linebacker spot in a 3-4 alignment, while bringing in a safety off the bench to play deep.
Branch afforded Glenn the ability to do this because he could be trusted as a box defender in the run game. He was PFF’s highest-graded run defender among safeties in 2024.
By playing big nickel against Minnesota’s 12 personnel look with Branch at OLB, the Lions were prepared to stop a potential run play while also having enough speed to effectively cover Minnesota’s weapons in the event of a pass. Glenn knows that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell loves to come out aggressively with the pass on first down, so this package is the perfect way to counter that while not leaving yourself susceptible in the event of a run.
It is only plausible with the requisite pieces, though. Without a safety like Branch who can be trusted to drop into the box and play the run formidably, this package would leave the Lions highly susceptible against the run.
Safety is a major need for the Jets, as they do not have a single penciled-in starter on the roster, let alone someone who can take on the Branch role. Starks projects as someone who might be capable of not only starting, but filling Branch’s shoes.
Starks was used in an extremely versatile fashion at Georgia. In 2024, he played 400 snaps as a deep safety, 271 snaps in the slot, 215 at linebacker, 10 at outside corner, and 10 on the edge. He was the only Power 4 safety to play 400+ snaps as a deep safety, 200+ snaps in the slot, and 200+ snaps at linebacker.
Starks’ versatility is afforded by his prowess against the run. He posted an 85.6 run defense grade at PFF in 2024 (7th among Power 4 safeties, min. 250 run defense snaps) and an 84.8 urn defense grade in 2023 (5th). Starks was the only safety to rank top-10 in both seasons.
In three seasons (43 games) at Georgia, Starks missed only 15 tackles. His career missed tackle rate was 6.9%, well below half of the 2024 FBS average for safeties (15.8%). His physicality and sure-handed tackling would give Glenn the flexibility to carry over some of the unique looks that Branch allowed him to run in Detroit.
Starks’ run stopping and versatility do not come at the cost of deep coverage skills. He should fit well in a zone-heavy Jets defense that will run plenty of Cover 4 and Cover 3. With an impressive blend of speed, range, and on-ball playmaking, Starks displayed the ability to effectively cover his part of the field.
The calls for offensive help will ring loudest over the next two months, but the Jets’ defense is also in dire need of help. The installation of a completely new defensive scheme only emphasizes the Jets’ need to rebuild the core of their defense.
Do not be surprised if the Jets fall in love with Will Johnson or Malaki Starks as their top target at No. 7 overall. Both prospects are excellent fits for the philosophies of Steve Wilks and Aaron Glenn.
