The New York Jets have All-Pro players at each level of their defense. Although the unit struggled in 2024, its talent level is still among the best in the league going into the new season.
While those All-Pro players will see their names ranked among the best at each position, one player stands out above the rest.
Quinnen Williams, the former third overall pick out of Alabama, has become one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game. This offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave Williams the No. 5 spot on the list of top defensive tackles in the game.
Williams’s production dropped last season, so much so that his ranking on ESPN’s survey fell three spots from 2024. He even saw a 50-spot dip in the NFL’s Top 100 list this week.
While still considered a great player, it’s clear Williams has become underrated.
Jets’ All-Pro Has Become Underrated
To understand what Williams is all about, Fowler made it clear just how special a player the Jets have in him.
“Williams has been one of the constants amid persistent Jets changes,” Fowler said. “He’s going on three straight Pro Bowls and has 23.5 sacks during that span, though 12 of them came in 2022.
“One AFC scout said Williams didn’t have much help around him inside, prompting defenses to key on him. He also battled through a hamstring issue.”
One issue that Fowler reported from anonymous scouts, though, was in regard to Williams’ small struggles against the run. In 2024, Pro Football Focus ranked Williams as the 32nd-best run defender at his position out of 63 qualifiers (min. 500 snaps).
Williams is still a great player. It’s clear, though, that the problems some executives and fans have with Williams are exaggerated.
For one thing, the Jets have struggled mightily to find Williams a competent partner to work with along the defensive line. Great defensive tackles make players around them better, but they also need help to rack up production.
“He’s a guy you have to dedicate a game plan to,” an anonymous NFL coordinator told Fowler. “One of the most complete interior guys in the game.”
New York knows how good a player Williams is. He remains among the best players at his position.
But as his name continues to drop on major lists, it may be time to consider that Williams has become an underrated star in the league after all this time.