Can you have an effective punch without boxing gloves?
That’s a question the New York Jets will need to answer.
With the NFL draft in the books, the Jets’ 2025 roster is largely intact. The Jets acquired two surefire Day 1 starters in right tackle Armand Membou (No. 7 overall) and tight end Mason Taylor (No. 42).
Cornerback Azareye’h Thomas (No. 73) and safety Malachi Moore (No. 130) may also have the opportunity to battle for a starting spot in training camp.
Still, there are two particular positions the Jets glaringly left open. The fact that they still have holes on their roster is unsurprising; 2025 was meant to be a re-tooling season.
But given the rhetoric coming from Aaron Glenn at his draft press conferences, neglecting to address these two spots is particularly strange. Glenn praised first-rounder Membou for being a nasty mauler. He stated his desire to build from the inside out.
Glenn’s mindset is very clearly to punch opponents in the mouth on both offense and defense. But then how did he fail to address two of the most critical positions for smashmouth football?
Blocking tight end
The Jets certainly acquired an intriguing tight end prospect at No. 42 overall in Mason Taylor. Overall, taking Membou at No. 7 while still being able to select a high-upside tight end in the second round was an ideal use of resources.
Given Justin Fields’ proclivity for targeting tight ends, gaining a 6-foot-5, 256-pound athletic freak was a wise decision by Mougey and Glenn.
However, Taylor’s ability to block in-line is questionable at best. Despite his listed size, he is not considered a great run game asset. Although NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah believes he should be able to hold his own, fellow analyst Lance Zierlein questions whether Taylor will be able to block in-line.
To be fair, a true “Y” tight end who can block well in-line seems to be a unicorn. Most of the NFL’s best receiving tight ends played primarily out of the slot, and most of the league’s best blocking tight ends are No. 2 on their teams’ depth charts. Even Tyler Warren, who was considered such a top-tier prospect because of his supposed two-way ability, is far more raw in the run game than many believe.
Therefore, perhaps the Jets see Taylor as good enough in the run game. That’s how many describe Sam LaPorta, the Lions’ second-round pick in 2023 who is considered a key cog in their offense.
However, if the Jets plan to play 12 personnel at a high rate, as the Lions do, they’ll need a second tight end who can block. Maybe Taylor can be reasonably adequate in the run game — but who will take that second spot?
In 2024, one of the Jets’ biggest issues in the run game was just how awful both of their tight ends were as run-blockers. Tyler Conklin (42.9) and Jeremy Ruckert (39.0) ranked 52nd and 57th out of 58 qualified tight ends in Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade.
Ruckert is presumably one of the Jets’ top two tight ends right now, which bodes poorly for the run game. The only other tight end on their roster with more than three career NFL snaps is Stone Smartt, who, at 226 pounds, offers intriguing receiving upside but no real in-line blocking ability. He is a true “F” tight end, meant to play in the slot.
How can the Jets plan to play smash-mouth football without having a true in-line tight end? Despite the run-blocking talent across the Jets’ offensive line in 2024, many run plays were blown up because the tight ends whiffed so badly on their blocks. What’s to stop that from happening again in 2025?
It’s hard to understand what the Jets’ plan is in this area. Perhaps they believe in Ruckert’s surface reputation as a run-blocker, which many Jets fans believed before their eyes were opened in 2024. Maybe they think they can clean up his technique.
Or maybe there’s some tight end still available on the free-agent market or as an undrafted free agent. Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox would have been a perfect target, but he re-signed with Indianapolis two weeks before the draft. The Giants’ Chris Manhertz could have also worked, but he re-signed with the Jets’ crosstown rival.
In general, learning in-line blocking at the NFL level is considered a very difficult skill. It’s one of the reasons — perhaps even the primary reason — the learning curve at the tight end position is so steep. That makes it highly unlikely the Jets can find an undrafted free agent to do the job.
And that’s not to mention the fact that Taylor could prove completely incapable in this area. The Bills have discovered this the hard way with Dalton Kincaid, the No. 25 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Though he showed promise as a receiving threat in his rookie season, Kincaid could not win the starting tight end job outright from Dawson Knox and played just 57% of the Bills’ offense snaps even when healthy. (Compare that to LaPorta, drafted nine spots after him, who played 85% of the Lions’ snaps in 2024.)
Overall, not acquiring a single reliable in-line blocker is inconsistent with the Jets’ articulated vision for their offense.
Defensive line
On the defensive side, the Jets made an almost identical decision, except perhaps with even worse consequences.
Defensive tackle
Despite a down season in the run game in 2024, Quinnen Williams remains one of the NFL’s best interior run defenders overall. He led all interior defensive linemen with a 90.6 PFF run defense grade in 2023 and was also a force in the years prior.
Outside of Williams, though, the Jets’ entire defensive line is rife with questions.
The issue is particularly prominent at defensive tackle next to Williams. From 2021-24, the Jets’ stalwart has rarely had a competent run defender next to him (outside of eight games from Al Woods with a 32% snap count in 2023). In 2024, the pass rush production from the Jets’ other defensive tackles was also subpar, but the run defense was particularly appalling.
Although Javon Kinlaw’s 50.8 PFF run defense grade was the highest of his career and was fairly average (55th out of 100 IDL with at least 150 run defense snaps), his film showed that he was frequently completely washed out of plays. Kinlaw was easily moved, often several yards downfield, providing the running back with massive gaps.
Meanwhile, Solomon Thomas, the Jets’ primary backup defensive tackle, ranked 86th out of 100 with a 41.5 grade. Once again, the film was worse than the grade.
In large part, the Jets lacked physicality along the line. Despite Kinlaw’s 320-pound frame, his poor technique led to a complete inability to hold the point of attack. Thomas was an undersized player (listed at 294 pounds). While Leonard Taylor is 304 pounds, he is a pass rush-first player who can make some splash plays with his athleticism but also frequently gets moved in the run game.
The Jets largely failed to address this issue in the offseason. They replaced Kinlaw and Thomas with Derrick Nnadi and Byron Cowart.
Nnadi has the body type to be a run stuffer at 318 pounds, but he has not played up to that standard in several seasons. After posting excellent run defense grades from 2018-20, his play has steadily nosedived, most recently with a 40.3 PFF run defense grade (15th percentile) even in more limited snaps and a 2.4% run stop rate (1st percentile).
Nnadi also provides zero juice as a pass rusher with a career 4.3% pressure rate, six sacks, and eight quarterback hits in 115 games. He’s in the league for his run defense, but he’s been terrible in that area. It is difficult to understand why they signed him.
The only interior defensive lineman on the Jets’ roster with any track record of good run defense is Byron Cowart. His 8% run stop rate in 2024 ranked in the 76th percentile among 99 qualified defensive tackles (min. 150 run defense snaps), and his 60.1 run defense grade ranked in the 66th percentile. He was also a solid pass rusher, as his 7.7% pressure rate ranked in the 64th percentile (among 110 qualified defensive tackles, min. 150 pass rush snaps).
There are two problems with relying Cowart to start next to Williams, though. One is that he has primarily been a role player in his career. In 2024, he played 335 total snaps, including just 156 pass rush snaps. That amounted to 35% of Chicago’s defensive snaps in the 15 games he played. While his snap count increased significantly in the last seven weeks of the season, it’s hard to consider him a starter.
More importantly, Cowart is listed at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds. That’s nearly identical to Williams’ size (6-foot-3, 303 pounds). That would profile Cowart as a three-technique, which is the position Williams plays. The Jets need a bigger body in the middle who can play one-technique and swallow up double teams.
Therefore, even if Cowart is an ideal replacement for Solomon Thomas, he’s unlikely to be able to play next to Williams.
There was much discussion before the draft about Mason Graham’s potential fit with the Jets. The issue was identical: Graham’s frame (296 pounds) and film indicated that his NFL position would be three-technique. Although Graham ultimately went at No. 5, before the Jets picked, it might have been a reason for them to shy away from picking him even if he had lasted to No. 7.
Furthermore, Leonard Taylor plays the same exact role, which means the Jets have a backlog of smaller defensive linemen.
The other two defensive tackles on the Jets’ roster are Jay Tufele and Phidarian Mathis. Both players are listed in the 310-pound range, making them somewhat bigger than most of the other defensive tackles. Still, Tufele has always posted sub-45.0 run defense grades in limited action, and Mathis is a perennial practice squad player.
Given this picture, the Jets still lack a big-bodied run-stuffer in the middle of the defense. It’s the role Al Woods played for them before he got injured. Nnadi will presumably play that spot, but it’s an odd fit for a Jets team emphasizing physicality. Having a big run-stuffer in the middle is usually the hallmark of a team with that mindset.
It’s particularly puzzling that the Jets did not even attempt to address the position in the draft.
Edge defenders
This issue carries over to the edge, as well.
Jermaine Johnson is coming off a torn Achilles, which means expectations for him are completely unknown. He has a reputation as a plus run defender and a promising pass rusher who provides physicality. Both of those could be compromised in 2025, though.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Will McDonald may be the worst run defender in football. He completely fails to hold the point of attack and often finds himself on the ground. Listed between 236 and 239 pounds, McDonald lacks physicality to the point that most teams would profile him as a pass rush specialist. He was PFF’s worst-graded run defender along the edge in the entire NFL (39.5).
Perhaps Glenn believes Micheal Clemons can play on run downs. The Jets list him at 6-foot-5 and 263 pounds. In Clemons’ rookie season, he bullied tight ends en route to a sparkling 86.4 run defense grade. That grade slipped to 66.3 in 2023, which was arguably far higher than his film deserved.
However, in 2024, the bottom fell out on Clemons’ run defense. Between his complete failure to hold contain on option plays and his stiff hips, Clemons could not hold up against the run at all. Teams attacked him mercilessly, and his run defense grade plummeted to 46.6 (80th out of 87 edge defenders) even as his snaps against the run rose to 288, the 18th-most at the position.
Given his additional penchant to trash talk on the field and anger opponents despite his poor play, it is difficult to understand why Clemons is still on the Jets’ roster. The team reportedly gave him permission to seek a trade, which may indicate that his days with the team are numbered.
Clemons is due for a $3.4 million non-guaranteed salary in 2025, and the dead cap for cutting him would be just $191,024. It would be pretty simple to replace his lack of production with a cheaper alternative.
The Jets’ other edge defenders are 2024 undrafted free agents Braiden McGregor and Eric Watts, little-used journeyman Rashad Weaver, and fifth-round pick Tyler Baron. Watts showed promise as a run defender in a limited role, posting a 72.1 grade in that area (24th out of 103 edge rushers, min. 120 run defense snaps). At 6-foot-5 and 277 pounds, perhaps Watts is the Jets’ answer in that area.
McGregor was rarely used in his rookie season, appearing in just seven games and playing 83 total snaps. At 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds, he has the prototypical size to be a stalwart in the run game, but Watts held up far better at the point of attack.
Weaver was a fourth-round pick by Tennessee in 2021. In 2022, the lone season when he saw significant playing time, he had a 58.8 run defense grade (27th percentile). However, his 8% run stop rate was in the 82nd percentile, so perhaps that’s a skill the Jets think they can hone. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 259 pounds, which gives him solid size for an edge defender.
Baron has solid size, as well, at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds. His draft profile indicates that physicality could be a problem, though. According to NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein’s projection, Baron “possesses just average upper- and lower-body strength to battle the block” and is “beaten by back-side blocks more often than he should.”
It does appear Glenn and Mougey had size in mind when they brought in edge rushers this offseason. Maybe they think they can work with McDonald or use a rotation with Watts, Weaver, and Baron. Perhaps they’ll sign Za’Darius Smith to fortify their pass rush and give them reasonably adequate run defense.
Still, the Jets’ edge rusher room as a whole doesn’t scream “bully ball” despite Glenn’s clear indication that this is the style of play he wants.
How much can coaching help?
The Jets seem to be heavily relying on their coaching to shape up a roster full of previously subpar players. From Justin Fields and Brandon Stephens to draft pick Arian Smith, Glenn showed a willingness to invest in players with massive holes in their games.
Steve Heiden, Jets’ new offensive line coach, was the Lions’ tight ends coach. He seemingly shaped Sam LaPorta into an adequate run-blocker. It will be up to him to get the same out of Mason Taylor and, assuming the Jets don’t sign another tight end, re-work Jeremy Ruckert’s technique.
Along the edge, the Jets have some players with potential to be more physical. On the interior, questions abound, in large part because the Jets seem to lack a single player who can play one-technique effectively.
But maybe, with a more disciplined approach to teaching defensive line technique, Glenn can get far more out of these players than Robert Saleh, Jeff Ulbrich, and other coaches around the league were able to.
Saleh and Ulbrich emphasized an attacking defensive line that penetrated with abandon. They attempted to get more physical with the Kinlaw acquisition but seemingly didn’t try to change his technique (or even his mindset) to hold his own on double-teams and play with more discipline.
Maybe Glenn can get Nnadi back to his pre-2021 form. That seems to be the only path forward for the Jets to get the one-technique production they need. (Incidentally, Foley Fatukasi, who is currently a free agent, has had an eerily similar career path to Nnadi and hasn’t been an effective run defender in several seasons if PFF is to be believed.)
From my perspective as an analyst, the Jets are taking enormous gambles at virtually every position on the roster. The only positions where they have solidified starters across the board are offensive line (admittedly critical) and linebacker (less so but still important). I find the words Glenn uses to be somewhat at odds with the players he pursued, particularly at tight end and along the defensive line.
It’s hard for me to believe those risks will pay off enough to field a competitive football team. But perhaps that’s simply because I’ve never seen the Jets have excellent coaching at multiple positions. They’ve had some bright spots, notably Tony Oden, the cornerbacks coach under Saleh.
But overall, their head coaching and positional coaching have been subpar. You’d have to go back to the days of Bill Callahan as the Jets’ offensive line coach (2008-11) for the last time they had a truly respected and elite assistant coach.
Maybe Glenn, offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand (formerly a tight ends coach himself), the aforementioned offensive line coach Steve Heiden, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, and defensive line coach Eric Washington can correct this lack of physicality or technique to play smash-mouth football.
If so, the Jets have a good chance to shock the world and play competitive football. If not, Glenn’s entire philosophy of punching the opponent in the mouth will be seriously called into question.
